Into The Fire
by Bousan'sHanayome
Summary: When the Winchester boys are stuck at the Roadhouse while waiting for a hunt, Sam asks Ellen a question that prompts a revelation, leading him to someone who might have answers. DeanxJo and SamxOC
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: Just for legal reasons, I do not own Supernatural or any related materials. Those belong to Eric Kripke and the CW. I do, however, hold creative rights on the characters Erin Foster, Kelsey Foster, Monroe and Viviane Arlington, and Marcus, and all materials related to said individuals.

* * *

The elder Winchester son rubbed his eyes and tried to concentrate at the blurred black line called a road in front of him. The '67 Impala swerved dangerously around a curve, disturbing the younger man sitting beside him.

"Watch the road, Dean!"

"That's what I'm trying to do, dumb ass!" The older brother managed to get the car back under control and traveling straight again.

Beside him, Sam ran his hand through his hair and snapped the laptop shut. He had been staring at the damn screen for over 3 hours now, and the words were beginning to move by themselves. He sighed.

"What now?"

Dean shot him a sideways glance. "What'd you mean?"

"I mean, what do we do now Dean? I've been searching for three hours on this stupid computer and I can't find one hunt that is even remotely close to us. I'm not one against driving all over hell, but I've got to get some sleep before we do a cross-country road trip. I'm beat, man."

Dean nodded once in agreement. This last hunt had been a bitch; three days with little sleep, chasing a damn vampire all over the woods. Usually, he'd just shake the sleep deprivation off and drive some more. But when they stopped for gas earlier, he had seen Sam's face -drawn, gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes- and knew that his younger brother wasn't going to last much longer unless he got some shuteye. Torn between wanting to hunt and his concern for Sam, he sighed.

"Fine. We're not far from the Roadhouse. We'll stop there and see if Ellen will, I don't know; let us camp out under a table or something."

Satisfied with a solution to their problem, he glanced over to check Sam's response and was surprised to see him smiling at him.

"What are you grinning like a jackass for?"

Sam's smile turned into a smirk as he opened the laptop again, apparently in better spirits. "You just want to see Jo again."

"What gave you that half-baked idea?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

Sam gave his brother the patented "Oh-come-on" look. "Dean, you watch her every time we're there. Every little move she makes." He turned his attention back to the computer screen.

"I don't even want to know what you're thinking when she's bending over to clean tables….."

The car swerved across the road as Dean turned to stare open-mouthed at his younger brother.

"Where the hell did that come from, Sam?!"

Sam looked up innocently at Dean, his hazel puppy-eyes shining. "What?"

Dean shook his head and focused on the road, grumbling under his breath. Beside him, Sam tried not to laugh at the fact that, for a brief moment, he saw a once in a lifetime event.

Dean Winchester- blushing.

Two hours later, at the ungodly hour of four-something in the morning, the Impala finally came to a rest in a familiar dirt parking lot. The two brothers drug themselves out of the car and stretched, resulting in a symphony of cracking joints and popping vertebrae. Sam stared at the building before them and groaned. While the idea to come here had seemed like a godsend in the car two hours ago, now it was beginning to look ridiculous.

"Dean", he started as the fair-haired man began walking towards the bar, "they probably aren't even here. It's 4 in the morning."

Dean waved a hand over his shoulder at his brother. "Then I'll sleep on the porch. I'm out of the car and I'm not getting back in it until I have at least 30 minutes of complete unconsciousness."

Sam hung his head in defeat and shuffled after his brother. Two things you never mess with Dean about: the car, and sleep.

Or sleeping in the car. Sam grimaced and hoped that Ellen or Jo (or god, even Ash) _were_ here. Not that he minded sleeping in the Impala exactly, but he preferred not to have a gearshift in his ass cheek all night or to wake up to Dean mumbling sweet nothings to the backseat upholstery.

By the time he caught up with the older man, Sam could already see the dull residue of dismay in Dean's face. As quickly as it came it went, and the next minute Dean was stretched across the floorboards in front of the door with his pillow for a jacket.

"Why are you laying there?"

Dean looked up at his brother blatantly. "They definitely won't miss me if I'm laying here."

Rolling his eyes, Sam flopped down beside Dean and shoved his jacket under his neck. Uncomfortable but unable to fight the sleep that was creeping over him, he rolled over onto his stomach. With one arm and the jacket pillowing his head, he proceeded to pass out beside his brother, who was already snoring at deafening decibels.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ok, this is my first Supernatural fic, so everybody just bear with me. And please, be nice when you review! I'm very fragile, people...**


	2. Chapter 2

Ellen stood over the two men passed out on the porch of her bar. Honestly, all the Winchester men were the same: stupid and yet adorable at the same time. She smiled sadly at the though John for a moment. Shaking her head, she stepped over them and unlocked the door.

"Jo, take care of these strays, would you? They're going to scare away my customers." She left the two in her daughter's care and headed inside.

The young blonde bent over the two men. Sam was lying on his side, relatively still except for his shallow breathing. His face was pale, and he looked wiped out. Dean, however, was sprawled across the porch on his back; he was obviously exhausted as well. One arm was lying across his chest while the other was behind his head. She shook her head. Idiot.

She kneeled down and shook Sam gently, trying to wake him without disturbing Dean. For a moment, he didn't move, let alone register that he felt her shaking. Shoving him one time in the shoulder produced the sight of his hazel eyes, staring sleepily at her.

"Jo? What time is—"

She cut him off and smiled. "It's 10. Be quiet." She got up and stepped over his legs to stand beside Dean. Flashing Sam a mischievous grin, she turned back to her prey.

The older Winchester was still oblivious to his surroundings. His eyebrows twitched once, but he quickly returned to absolute unconsciousness.

Grinning evilly, Jo raised her foot above him and set it down gently on his belt buckle. Making sure that he was asleep, she dug her heel into his stomach.

"Wake up, you bum!"

Despite his sleeping-dead routine, as soon as pressure hit that certain spot near his belt, Dean sat up abruptly. He looked around wildly for a moment before he finally saw Sam's face, amusement etched all over his little brother's face. It took a few more minutes to realize that he was looking at Sam _through_ the gap between someone's legs.

Slowly, he let his gaze wander up the figure until he came to her face. Irritation crossed his expression followed by the normal Dean-swagger-smirk.

"Next time, would you use something else to touch me there?"

Jo rolled her eyes and took back her foot. "No. I wouldn't want to get leprosy or some unknown STD."

Sam suppressed a laugh while Dean stood and brushed himself off. "I don't have anything, thanks. But with a bite like that, _you_ might want a rabies shot."

She gave him a brief hug. "I'm going to let that go because you look like hell right now." She looked the both of them over before sighing. "All right, let's go. I'll feed your sorry asses. And if you're nice, you can use the hose to wash off."

Sam gave her a smile and opened the door for her. Dean watched her walk inside with "that" look on his face. As she went in, the brunette shot Dean a crooked grin over her head. He glared at his younger brother and pointed a finger at him, mouthing Watch it.

Sam, who seemed to be enjoying tormenting his older brother, grinned wider and walked in the door.

* * *

Dean took a swig of beer and watched Sammy wolf down a second burger. It was funny that, even though his younger brother wasn't _that_ much younger than him, he still managed to look like a little kid some times. 

Jo came to clear the plates and smiled at the younger Winchester. "I guess you weren't kidding when you said you were starving."

Sam grinned sheepishly and reached for the cold bottle of beer she handed him. "Thanks, Jo."

She nodded and turned to the other man. "What, you don't like my cooking?" A raised eyebrow followed the remark.

Dean glanced down at the half-eaten burger on his plate. "I'm saving it."

She rolled her eyes and swiped the plate. "Either eat it or go hungry."

"What am I, a 4 year old?"

The blonde gave him a sarcastic smile over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen. "That sounds about right for your maturity level."

Sam laughed, while Dean fumed. "I'm going to kick her ass."

"Dean, she's a girl. You've never hit a girl. Without a reason." Sam paused as he recalled certain female supernatural beings that Dean had decked before.

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait, I hope she gets possessed one day. Then-.." He made a motion in the air to signify wringing Jo's neck. Sam rolled his eyes.

"What? Technically, I wouldn't be hitting her." Dean gave his brother his best innocent expression.

Sam didn't buy it.

"So, where're you boys headed now?" Ellen emerged from the back room with a box of beer and set it on the counter. Dean shrugged in response to her question.

"Don't know."

"We haven't gotten any leads on hunts in the area. We're resting up, I guess." Sam turned around in his seat to face the older woman.

She nodded and smiled. "Well, you know you're welcome here. I've got a couple of cots in the back you boys can have as long as you need them."

Dean sighed and looked over at Sam. Even though he knew Sam would pretty much go with his decision, even he was looking forward to a little breather.

"I guess we'll take you up on that offer. At least until we get a hit on a hunt."

Ellen nodded and yelled back to her daughter. "Jo, make up those cots! The boys are staying for a while."

Sam wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Jo swear.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm sorry the chapters are so short, but I'm trying to progress the story as well as I can without making it drawn out. Anyways, it seems like Dean and Jo have a love/hate relationship. Poor Dean! I just think Dean Winchester should have someone as snarky as him in his life!**


	3. Chapter 3

Dean stared at the bar, trying to prevent himself from banging his head repeatedly on it. What had started out as "a couple of days rest" had turned into three weeks at the Roadhouse. It wasn't like something was preventing them from leaving; they just….hadn't.

If it wasn't for the fact that Sam seemed so damned content, he would have packed up and left long ago.

Sam did, in fact, seem in a better state. He wasn't as depressed, and it had been a few nights since he had woken up because of nightmares. Despite his badass demeanor, Dean had been seriously concerned for his brother. Ever since Sam had started looking for the "children like him", the nightmares had gotten worse. Once, when he asked Sam about it, he had said that the dreams weren't even about Jessica anymore.

"Just……dark. Like something sucked all the life out of the room."

That was all the explanation he had gotten from him, and so Dean left it at that. He wasn't one to push things like that, and he knew that Sam would tell him if he felt like it.

"You thirsty?" Jo set a beer down in front of him. He took it and smiled uneasily. This was another thing he hated about being in one place to long. People start getting used to you being there, and you get used to people. Get attached to them, and start caring about them.

And a guy could definitely get used to Jo.

He took a sip of beer as he watched her walk away. She was gorgeous, and with a pretty smile to boot. The only problem was that mouth of hers; always coming back with a cocky response that usually shut him up. But he had even gotten used to that, after three weeks of it. They had even built up banter, insulting each other until last night, when Jo lost it and proceeded to laugh for an hour at his very badly formed crack about her "blonde-in-a-bottle" hair.

He even liked her laugh.

"Are you watching Jo clean tables again?"

Dean turned on the barstool as his brother walked through the back door. Sam's hair was wet, apparently from another hose bath. He had even gotten used to that; even though it wasn't the way he wanted to bathe for the rest of his life.

And he didn't want to live in fear of Jo walking around the corner and surprising him, either.

He shook his head to clear that thought, and motioned for Sam to take a seat. "At least you don't stink anymore."

Sam raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air. "Yeah, but you do."

"Shut up." He took another swig of beer.

"I'm serious, man. You're festering in your own little stink bubble over here." Sam wrinkled his nose.

Dean opened his mouth to reply sarcastically, but thought better of it. If Sam was up to teasing him, it meant he was in a good mood. Instead, he changed the subject.

"I thought you were going to talk to Ellen about the "kids like you" thing." He reached into the beer nuts bowl and popped a few into his mouth.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it. She could have heard something from a hunter that passed by. I mean, what could be the harm in asking her?"

"Asking me what?" Ellen appeared out of nowhere as, Dean learned, she had a habit of doing. She wiped the counter in front of them clean, and then smacked Dean's hand as he reached for another handful of peanuts.

"Those are for paying customers."

Dean eyebrow twitched. "Listen lady, I nailed shingles back onto your roof yesterday. I washed the stupid windows and fixed that stupid creaky porch of yours. Give me the damn nuts!"

Ellen raised an eyebrow and leaned on the bar, giving Dean a dangerous glare. "Boy, have you lost your ever-loving mind?"

For a moment, the oldest Winchester said nothing. Then, he lowered his eyes to his beer and muttered a barely audible, "No ma'am."

"Good. Now, what was it you wanted to ask me, Sam?" Ellen busied herself by wiping off the shelf in front of the mirror behind the bar while she waited for Sam's question.

Sam, who was still shocked by the sight of his brother backing down from an argument with someone other than their dad, cleared his throat.

He swallowed. "Have you heard anything else about kids with psychic abilities? Maybe from hunters that have passed through, or something?"

As he finished his last sentence, he noticed that Ellen had stopped wiping the shelf and was now staring at him with the most peculiar look. He felt the heat rising to his face.

"I knew it was a stupid question. Just forget I said any—..."

"How'd you know?"

Both Dean and Sam turned to see that Jo had re-entered the room unbeknownst to them. Ellen met her daughter's eyes in the mirror. It was bound to come out eventually.

Sam spoke up first, confused at Jo's question. "Know what? I don't know anything, that's why I asked."

Jo turned her attention to her mother. "I thought he was asking about Erin."

"Wait a minute; who's Erin?" Sam swiveled around on the barstool and met Ellen's eyes in the mirror.

"Ellen, who's Erin?"

"Erin Foster. She's my niece. My sister's oldest daughter." The older woman turned to face him and sighed. Suddenly, Ellen looked twice her age. And tired.

"She's a year younger than you."

"And she's got psychic abilities?" Sam's voice was dangerously quiet and his hands were shaking on the bar.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?!"

Dean was pissed. After what happened with Andy and Ellen had let them think there was no positive way to find kids like Sam; when she was lying to them all along.

"I don't want her getting hurt." Ellen gave the older Winchester a weary look. "She's been unstable ever since her mother was killed. I've had to raise her."

Dean restrained himself from reaching over and throttling her. "What do you mean, unstable?"

"She's a very volatile person. Once, she admitted herself to a psych ward. Said she was hearing things. And seeing'darkness'. Some it has something to do with her psychic abilities, I'm sure. If you two go over there talking about all of this, it might upset her and I don't really know what will happen."

"I want to meet her." Sam stared at the top of the bar. His knuckles had turned white from clenching his fists. He couldn't think about Ellen lying to him right now. Instead, he focused on the girl. If she had the same abilities he did, he needed to know.

Jo spoke up. "She has an apartment in town. I'll take you there." She looked to her mother for a moment. She had never defied her mother directly, but she saw the pain on the men's faces and wanted to correct. For some reason, the hurt in Dean's eyes was ripping her heart in two.

"She might not be home. She's a hunter too." Ellen turned away from the boys and looked at their faces in the mirror. She couldn't look them in the eyes directly. Silently, she apologized to John in her heart for hurting his sons.

"Let's go." Sam was up and out the door before anyone could say anything. Glancing over at Jo, Dean grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Come on. We'll take the Impala."

* * *

An hour later, they arrived at the apartment building Jo had pointed out from the highway. Getting out of the car, she pointed to an emerald green motorbike.

"She's home; that's her bike."

Dean glanced over to assess Sam's mood. His younger brother's face was turned up to look at the façade of the building. He seemed to be contemplating one window in particular. He thought making a crack about watching someone changing, but thought against it and instead followed Jo to the elevator. Sam came behind them, albeit slowly. It seemed like he was in deep thought.

The elevator stopped at the 4th floor. As the doors opened, Dean raised any eyebrow at his brother.

"Here we go."

"Why do I feel like I'm being marched in front of the firing squad?" Sam took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator.

Jo was already at the apartment door by the time they caught up with her. She made sure Sam certain about it, and then knocked on the door.

No one answered at first, and so she knocked again. "Erin, you there? It's Jo." She put her ear to the door and listened.

"I hear music, so she's got to be home." She pounded louder on the door. "Erin, open the door."

Still nothing. Jo was getting frustrated.

"Erin, open the damn door!" She raised her hand to pound on the door again.

Abruptly the door was flung open, revealing a young brunette. Headphones dangled around her neck, and she was dressed in a black hoodie and shorts. She was glaring at Jo, and Sam noticed she had intense green eyes. "Highway to Hell" crashed out of the apartment behind her.

"What the hell Jo? You're going to break my door!" She snatched the headphones off and flung them back into the room behind her.

"Well, then start taking the earplugs out of your ears." Jo folded her arms and stared right back at her. "We need to come in and talk."

The girl let her eyes roam over the three in her hallway, apparently sizing them up. Sam couldn't help seeing that she was guarded; she stood with one hand on the door as though she needed to be able to shut and lock it quickly.

"What could you want to talk to me about?" She let her gaze fall back onto her cousin, even though it occasionally flicked back to Sam. He couldn't tell if she was looking at him out of curiosity of if she considered him a threat. He hoped it was the first one.

Jo took a deep breath. "These two want to ask you about being psychic."

Erin raised an eyebrow at Jo's comment, while her gaze immediately shot over to Sam. He didn't know how she knew, but she knew. He could only look back at her, blatantly innocent in his expression.

She moved aside and held the door open for them. Her expression was grim and muted, as though she wasn't expressing emotion but merely shadowing the effect. "Come in."

Jo nodded and walked past her. Dean followed, with Sam bringing up the rear. As he entered the apartment, his eyes met the girl's. She stared back at him silently, her expression shuttered and closed. Her eyes looked that way he felt most of the time: lost and frustrated.

She shut the door and moved past them. Gesturing for them to take a seat, she stepped into the kitchen and took a pot of the stove. Dean took a seat on the couch by Jo, while Sam took a chair on the other side of the coffee table.

"Mind telling me who the Hardy Boys are, Jo?"

Jo glanced at Sam before speaking. "This is Sam and Dean. Winchester." She said their last name hesitantly.

Although she had been rummaging around in the kitchen during this, Erin stopped when she heard the last name. For a moment, she was silent.

"They're John's boys." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Jo just nodded and sighed. Erin came back from the kitchen with her arms folded, her gaze flicking between Dean and Sam. Finally, she focused on the younger Winchester.

"You must be Sam. You're John's youngest. "

Sam nodded, slightly surprised.

"How'd you know he was Sam?" Dean raised an eyebrow at the girl. There was probably a reasonable explanation for it.

She turned to him with a blank expression. "Because, when Jo told me about you guys, she said that Dean had a "cute-but-dumb" air about him." Her expression showed a hit of amusement.

"And that fits you perfectly. So, he must be Sam."

Dean wore a "What-the-hell" look and turned to glare at Jo. She smiled, apparently trying not to laugh.

"What?"

Dean muttered something about "smart ass chicks".

She took a seat on the couch arm and cocked her head, staring at Sam. He stared back at her, trying to think of something to say.

"How did you know our father?" The question even surprised him.

She sighed. "I met him when Aunt Ellen did, which would have been when I was 8 or 9. I got to know him really well since he stopped by the Roadhouse a lot. He was…….a good friend." She lowered her eyes to her hands, and Sam got the impression she knew more about John Winchester than she let on.

"I thought you came here to ask me about being a freak, not about your dad." Sam was surprised by the bitterness in her voice. He couldn't tell if it was meant for the mention of John or not.

"We wanted to ask you about people with psychic abilities. Ellen said you might be able to help us."

She gave him a sad smile. "You mean the children like us?"

Dean looked at Sam, shocked. Was she admitting she had powers?

"You mean you…"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. And you're asking me about it because you have visions and the demon mentioned something about it the last time you encountered it."

"Don't tell me: you read minds." Jo smacked Dean in the chest for being sarcastic. Erin shot him a withering look.

"No, I just have common sense. Unlike some people."

Sam shook his head. "How do you know about my visions? And how do you know about the demon?"

"John mentioned your visions. Or at least, a hunch he had about you having visions. As for the demon, I know about it because it killed my mom."

* * *

**Author's Note: Ta-da! The longest chapter yet! I had to do a rewrite of this chapter because I hadn't seen "Simon Said" yet. As for Erin, what do you guys think about her? I kept thinking I was making her sound too old (because of the way she talks about John) but she's only a year younger than Sam. Anyway, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

"The demon……killed your mom?" Sam swallowed. His mother, Max's mother, and now Erin's mother had all been killed by the demon. He knew the demon was connected to all of this, but why was he only killing the children's mothers?

"Ellen said she raised you. What happened to your dad?" Dean sat forward to see her face, but out of fear or concern for her cousin, Jo put her hand on his knee to prevent him from getting up. He stopped.

Erin looked down at the coffee table and stood up. "He left….when I was 3." She sighed. "Anybody want something to drink?"

Sam was confused at her sudden change in conversation. He could see the bitterness in her face and decided to drop the subject. The room fell silent.

Erin returned from the kitchen with three beers. She handed them all one, and took her perch again on the couch arm. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Seemingly confused, she got up to answer the door. Opening the door revealed Ash and another, younger woman with him. The man with the mullet grinned at Erin.

"Lose something of yours?"

The younger girl bounded through door, stopping as soon as she saw the three people. "Jo! I didn't know you were here!" She smiled coyly at Sam and Dean.

"Who are the hotties?"

Sam laughed uneasily at the girl's description of them. Erin grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and gritted her teeth in frustration.

"These are the Winchester brothers, Dean and Sam. Meet my roommate, Janey Cox. She has problems with men." She put her arm around the woman and glared at her.

"She doesn't know how to keep her hands to herself."

"Oh pshh. And you don't know how to play well with others." Janey threw Erin's hand off and smiled at the men again.

"I'm sorry if Erin's being rude. She's just sexually frustrated."

Behind her, the brunette slapped a hand over her face and looked to the ceiling. "Oh lord, kill me now."

"Aww, then it wouldn't be any fun to laugh at you." Ash came through the door and grabbed Janey's elbow.

"We gonna go now, right Janey? She lost a bet and promised to buy me a drink."

Janey laughed. "No, I came home to change and take a bath. I have finals tomorrow." She pushed Ash towards the door. "Besides, you don't need another drink."

Dean stood up, followed by Jo. "Speaking of which, we should go."

"But Dean--..." Sam stood and started to speak to his brother.

"Sam, it's getting late. We should get back to the Roadhouse before Jo's mom starts worrying."

Jo folded her arms. "The only thing my mother's worried about is your _intentions_." She made quotes in the air.

"Oh, so she knows I want to throw you off a cliff?" He gave her a smirk and walked to the door. Jo and Sam followed.

Erin opened the door and nodded. "Nice of you guys to stop by." She shook Dean's hand and hugged Jo as she came even with her. With the both of them waiting in the hallway, Sam paused in front of her.

"It was nice to meet you, Erin." He put his hand out for hers. She regarded his face for a minute before smiling slightly.

"Same here, Sam." Hesitantly she took his hand and shook it.

* * *

As soon as their hands touch, Sam was caught off guard by a sharp pain in his right temple. Erin's face contoured in agony, as if she was experiencing the same thing he was.

Blinding light filled his vision, blotting out everything else. He could still feel Erin's hand in his, and he couldn't let go for some reason. It was like when you grabbed a live wire. Electrifying shocks ran up his arm and into his skull. He gasped in pain and felt his legs give out. The pain became so intense that he opened his mouth to cry out, but no sound came. Ringing resounded in his ears, followed by an ear-piercing scream. Erin.

Suddenly, he was no longer lying in the apartment doorway. He was standing, in apparently another place. This room was decorated like a children's room, with kids wallpaper. A little girl was standing in front of him, dressed in little footie pajamas. She was crying softly; a teddy bear hung from one tiny hand. He started forward to her, only to be halted by the sounds of a fight down outside the room. A man and a woman, screaming at each other, drunk.

"_You don't even look at her anymore! She's your daughter, god damn it!"_

"_She's not fit to be called a kid!" The sound of a lamp breaking._

"_Don't you talk about her that way, you sonofabitch! She's your child; you're supposed to love her no matter what!"_

"_She's a monster; you've seen what she does when she's mad!" The sound of shoving and fists._

"_You can't hate your child!"_

"_SHE'S A FREAK!"_

A stifled sob behind him made Sam turn around. The young girl had fallen deathly silent, and was staring at the small toy box at the far side of the room. Without warning, the toy box was flung violently across the room and out the window. The little girl's eyes widen in shock, followed by a deafening shriek. He clapped in his hands over his ears and grimaced.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, the scene had changed. He was in the same house apparently, staring at an older version of the little girl. She couldn't have been more than 6 or 7. Dressed in a nightgown, she was banging on a door frantically.

"Momma? Momma?! Open the door Momma!"

She kicked and beat at the door, distraught. Sam could see her face was red from crying.

"Momma, is that man hurting you?!"

'_Man?'_

As if on cue, the door to her mother's bedroom swung open. At the far window, a shadowy figure stood. Slowly, he raised his hand to the ceiling, and Sam saw the glint of sickly yellow eyes.

"Leave my momma alone!" The girl rushed forward, screaming at the man. Sam lunged after her, propelled by the thought of what was going to happen.

"NO!" He reached for the girl's nightgown, only to have his hand go through her. Caught off-balance, he fell. As he looked up from the floor, he saw that the demon was gone. But the girl now stood in the middle of the room, her horror-stricken face turned to the ceiling. He felt a sick twisting in his gut as she looked upwards, agony in her expression.

"MOMMA!"

Determined now, he launched himself off the floor and reached for her again. This time, he caught something solid and began dragging back to the door. She twisted, trying to resist him.

"Stop fighting and come on!" He yanked on her nightgown, hard, one last time as they reached the door. They fell through the doorway, finally. Sam turned to comfort the girl.

His hand was empty.

He stared at his in confusion for a moment. The light seemed darker than it had been in the hall a moment ago, and he looked up to see why.

* * *

The scenery had change once again. He now stood in a dirt parking lot outside of a rustic building. It took a few minutes for him to realize that it was the Roadhouse. He stared at the sign, thoroughly puzzled.

A teenage girl emerged from the darkness, running at full speed. Her shirt was ripped, and she was missing a shoe. The denim skirt she wore was smeared with dirt, as was her face. As she got closer, Sam could see she was crying.

Another figure stepped out of the darkness, between him and the girl. The teenage boy grinned cockily.

"Where you goin, sweet thing?"

The girl stopped, fear in her eyes. Sam had a feeling this was guy responsible for the way she looked.

She darted sideways, but the man was too quick for her. He lunged in front of her and grabbed her wrists.

"Baby, don't go. You ran off before I could give you your surprise." He pulled her to him and began to pull at the remains of her shirt. She resisted, desperately trying to get away without angering him.

"Stop it….please..."

"HEY!" Sam yelled at the man, but to no avail. As he suspected, he couldn't do anything in this place, much less be heard.

"Don't be like that baby." The man jerked her and managed to get a hand under her shirt. As an impulse reflex, she clawed him across the face. He growled and slapped her in the left temple. She staggered and gripped the side of her head.

"Damn you, bitch. I'm going to teach a freak like you some manners." He grabbed her wrists and drug her to a nearby car.

The girl twisted and clawed, trying to get away from him. He shoved her against the car and, holding her wrists with one hand, reached for his pants zipper with the other.

Fear and shame shone in her eyes as she tried to get away. In one desperate attempt, she managed to get her hands out of his grasp. Instead of grabbing her again, his hand instead went to her thigh. She cried out with a strangled sob and, with both hands, shoved him away.

"GET AWAY!"

The man stumbled back, his pants half undone. Confusion followed by anger spread across his expression.

"You little bitch." He started forward again. "I'm going to beat the living shit out of you. And you're going to like it, I swear to fucking god!"

A small ribbon of smoke stopped him. It was issuing from point on his shirt where her hands had shoved him.

"What the hell?" He jumped in surprise as a flame sprang to life, burning through his shirt and onto his skin.

"GOD DAMNIT!" He clawed desperately at his shirt, trying to put it out. The flame grew rapidly, and the man exploded into a fireball. His cussing turned into an agonizing scream that pierced the air. The girl looked on wordlessly, her hand to her mouth.

The body quickly burned, and the flame disappeared just like it came. The girl slid off the car and onto the ground, apparently in shock. Almost robotically she hugged herself, trying to cover herself with the flimsy remains of her shirt. The grim reality of the situation dawned on her, and she began to sob, falling over onto side and curling up into a ball.

Shaking off the shock of what just happened, Sam started across the parking lot towards her. Reaching the girl, he knelt down and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?"

For a moment, she didn't say anything and Sam was afraid she had passed out. Reaching for her other shoulder, he turned her over to see her face.

"Miss?"

The girl's hands gripped his collar and she pulled herself up to look at him. Only, instead of the teenage girl, it was Erin.

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" She shoved him with all her strength, pushing him backwards. He stumbled back and fell, his head colliding with something hard.

And then, there was darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note: Three chapters in one day, WOOT! (does happy dance) Anyway, it seems there's more to Miss Foster than meets the eye. And we even get to see a little psychic action at work. Poor Sammy; always finding women that are buckets o' crazy. Anyway, review please. And thanks to _zeusfluff _for giving me such flattering and ego-boosting reviews lol!**


	5. Chapter 5

_"Is he going to be ok?"_

_"I don't know. Sammy!"_

_"Sam."_

"Sam."

"Sam!"

The clarity of Dean's voice made Sam jump, and he opened his eyes. His eyesight was focused, but he could only see a field of white. It took a few minutes to realize he saw staring at the ceiling.

Ash appeared in his field of vision, brandishing a penlight. He gripped Sam's forehead and pointed the light into his right eye. Sam grimaced.

"Get that thing out of my face." He swatted Ash's hand away with one hand and pressed his other hand to his temple. His head felt like it was going to split open, and he was seeing bright dots. It felt like the symptoms he had after a vision, but amplified. He groaned.

"How long was I out?"

Dean grabbed his brother's shoulder and helped him sit up. "Over an hour. Jo was ready to call an ambulance."

Sam laughed weakly. "Oh yeah, that would go over well. 'Doctor, my brother is psychic. Can you give him something for migraines?' I don't even think you could pull that off, Dean."

Dean laughed. "Probably not." He looked his brother over good. Sam's face was pale, and he was sweating profusely. At least the color was starting to come back into his face, albeit slowly. This was the worst Dean had seen his brother after an episode.

Jo pushed past the older Winchester. "Move it, Dean." Without a word, she bent down and slapped a hand onto Sam's forehead. He looked up at her, slightly cross-eyed, as she held it there for a moment.

"At least your fever's going down." She removed her hand and stood back up, apparently satisfied with the young brother's condition. Sam nodded his thanks.

The events he had seen came rushing back, and he noticed that someone was missing from the room.

"Where's Erin?"

Jo and Dean exchanged glances. After a few moments, Jo spoke up. "She's... out on the fire escape."

"What happened?" Sam swung his legs off the bed and leaned forward. What had she done to him; or better yet, had she experienced the same thing he did? He was already convinced that the three girls he saw were all younger versions of Erin. But what did it mean for him to witness all of it?

"We really don't know. We were kind of hoping you could tell us." Jo sat down beside him and sighed.

"Ash thinks that, since Erin's abilities are tied to her emotional state, when you guys shook hands it caused a reaction between her abilities and yours."

"Kind of like short-circuiting a breaker box." Dean gave a weak smile. He was trying to cut the tension, but it was kind of hard when even he felt the seriousness in the room. This was big.

"What happened to her when I…passed out?"

"You both collapsed. The only difference was Erin started screaming. But as soon as you hit the floor, she stopped and fell too."

"She woke up just a few minutes before you did. She let me check her temperature, said she was fine, and then left the room. She's been outside ever since." Jo leaned forward so she could see Sam's face.

"Sam, she was really freaked out. I've never seen Erin like that before." She put a hand on his knee.

"What did you guys see?"

He stood up abruptly. "I need to go talk to her. Alone." He looked to Dean.

Dean just sighed and nodded in agreement. He knew that Sam felt he had to do this, and he wasn't going to stop him. He sat down on the bed by Jo as Sam left the room.

"Dean, I'm serious. I'm really worried. About both of them." Jo stared at her hands in her lap. Despite the sarcastic repertoire she had with Dean, she cared about both of the Winchesters. Sam was like a brother to her now, and she couldn't stand seeing him in pain.

The weight of Dean's arm around her shoulders surprised her. She looked to him, only to see worry etched into his face. He stared forward, but she could still see the concern.

"I know."

* * *

Erin was staring at the building across the street when Sam joined her on the fire escape. Her expression was solemn, like someone who had witnessed the death of a loved one. Sam was unsure of how to bring up what had happened. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Have a good time in my mind?" She gave him cynical smile. It was enough to break the tension and relax him a little.

He smiled weakly and sat down beside her. "It wasn't cheerful." He paused. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend."

He looked at her, shocked, but she just continued to stare straight ahead. Uneasily, he cleared his throat.

"You saw…….Jess?"

She gave a small nod. "Yeah. I saw how……she died. I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "Nobody should have to go through losing someone like that."

"Yeah, but you were just a little kid when your mom died."

She smiled sadly. "I think that was a good thing. I….don't even remember what my mother looked like. You'll always remember Jess's face."

He didn't say anything; mainly because she was right. He couldn't picture what his mother looked like, but he could still picture Jess. However, it was starting to fade. In the beginning, he saw her everywhere. Now, he had to work to remember her face.

"What did you see?"

She smiled. "I'll tell you one if you tell me. I've already told you about Jess, so now you have to tell me something you saw."

"But I mentioned your mom. So it's turn to tell me something."

"All right. I saw Dean in hospital. What happened there?"

"The demon…beat the crap out of him." Sam laughed a little. His laughter was marred by what else had happened that day.

"That's the day John died, isn't it?" Erin turned to him.

"…Yeah."

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Sam."

He smiled when she said his name. "It's ok. But now, I get to ask you one."

"All right, fine."

"What happened to the guy in the parking lot?"

She looked down at the grating between them. "Aunt Ellen called an ambulance, and they rushed him to the hospital. He was D.O.A."

Sam nodded thoughtfully. "So you're……pyrokinetic? Is that it?"

"Yeah. That wasn't…the first time I hurt somebody." She studied at her hands silently.

Sam reached for her shoulder. "Hey."

"Don't touch me!"

She jerked out of his reach and scooted to the far side of the fire escape. Sam stared at her in confusion, his hand still out in mid-air.

She took a deep breath and composed herself. "I'm sorry. I just… don't know what will happen if we touch again. At least, so soon."

He nodded and dropped his hand. The way she had just spoken, it sounded like she was scared to death of him.

She sounded the way she did in his vision, when she pushed him away. He turned back to the way he had been sitting, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She sat, with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring at the floor in front of her. He felt like he had only seen the surface of Erin.

"Stop staring at me. You're making me nervous."

He grinned sheepishly and turned to stare at the building across from them. "Sorry. I'm just…." He took a deep breath. "I'm just trying to sort things out, is all."

"Well, being in somebody else's mind tends to frazzle you just a _little_ bit." She made an inch sign with her fingers for emphasis. "Plus, it's a pain in the ass. Or, head, in this case." She rubbed her temple gently.

He laughed nervously. "You got that too, huh? It feels like my head got hit by a wrecking ball."

"No, I wish my head got hit by a wrecking ball. Then I would be unconscious and thus could not feel the horrible pain engulfing my head." She rolled her eyes.

"Aw, but then your head would have a nasty dent right there." Sam reached over and poked her temple.

"Ow!" She smacked his hand and put her hand back to her head. "That hurts, you dork." She pretended to sniffle and rubbed the spot.

"Don't be so mean, god."

Sam laughed at her reaction. For some reason, he felt comfortable around Erin. It was a feeling he didn't have around most people, save for Dean, Jo and Ellen. He felt like he could relax, be himself, which was what Dean was always telling him anyway.

"Yeah, pouting does not work for you."

"Oh, that was just mean, Winchester." She got up on her knees and put her hands on her hips. "I'll have you know that this face got me a free meal one time."

"It was a pity meal, wasn't it?" He shook his head in mock sadness. "People are just cruel."

"Oh, and now you're just plain evil!" She pointed her finger at him accusingly. "Jo said Dean was the smartass out of the two of you. But I see through that innocent-virginal-little boy-puppy dog façade. You're just a sad, evil little man."

He lost it at her mock accusation. Leaning back against the building he proceeded to laugh his ass off, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. Finally, he laughed so hard he developed a stitch in his side and fell sideways to compensate for it.

"Oh, I'm so glad you find me hilarious." She folded her arms tried not to laugh at him. It was funny, but this was the most she had ever talked to someone she just met.

Jo stuck her head out the window. "What the hell is going on out here? You sound like a bunch of damned hyenas!"

Erin started laughing and pointed to Sam, who was just now getting over his laughing spell. "Ask the guy snorting dust of the fire escape. He's the one that lost it and went all giggly."

Jo looked over at Sam. He sat up and, putting on a straight face, shrugged. "She started it."

She looked back to Erin, and gave her skeptical look. "Did I just hear you laugh?"

"Maybe." Erin blushed, realizing that she had been bordering on flirting with Sam. Quickly, she stood up and brushed her pants off.

"You guys better get going. Aunt Ellen's going to worry." She climbed back through the window as Jo moved out of the way.

"Wait a minute." Sam followed her back inside, careful not to accidentally touch her.

"You told me you've got abilities, you said the demon killed your mom, I took a stroll through your mind, and you just expect me to leave after any answers?"

Erin folded her arms and stared back at him. Her expression had become cold and closed, like she had been when they first arrived.

"I told you what you came here to know. I don't have to answer anything else." She saw him flinch from her cold tone and sighed.

"I'm sorry Sam, but I think you should just leave. The demon has plans for children like us, so I don't think it's a good idea to be in contact with each other."

Dean came out of the bedroom as Sam took a step forward. "What exactly do you know about the demon's plans?"

"I'm not answering that question. I'm trying to be polite here. You need to leave."

"No, I'm not going until you tell me what you know. What are the demon's plans?"

"I don't know, ok? I only know what John told me."

"That's another thing. How the hell do you know my dad?"

"I told you; I met him through Aunt Ellen."

"It sounds like you were awfully chummy with him. How well did you know him?"

"Oh my god. Yeah Sam, I slept with your dad. Is that what you think?!"

"No, just tell me the truth: what did he tell you?"

"Nothing! Ok, god I don't know anything more than you do!"

"What is the demon planning?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Unconscious of it, Erin threw out her arms, sending Sam crashing into the wall. Almost immediately, she realized what happened and drew back in fear.

"Sammy!" Dean raced to his brother's side, helping him up off the floor. Sam stood shakily and stared at Erin.

Dean let go of Sam's shoulder and started forward. "You bitch."

Sam grabbed the older man's shirt. "No, Dean it's my fault."

Erin turned away and gripped the counter. "Get out of my house. Now."

Both of the Winchesters started towards the front door. Jo made a step towards her cousin.

"Erin, are you—…"

"You too, Jo. Please, just get out."

She shook her head and sighed. "All right Erin, I'm goin'." Jo threw a departing glance at Janey, who patted the air.

"I got it, don't worry Jo."

The blonde met the Winchesters in the hall outside the apartment. Or at least, she met Dean.

"Where's Sam?"

Dean shrugged. "Went down to the car already. Probably has a lot to think about. Like your crazy cousin."

Jo glared at him. "She's not crazy. She just has a lot of problems. You don't understand Dean; she's had a rough life. She's not just going to trust somebody who shows up out of nowhere and wants to ask her a million questions."

He punched the button for the elevator. "Yeah, and you've to got understand that I can't trust somebody that threw my baby brother against a wall. With her _mind_. I don't like people that can do things just by thinking about it."

She got onto the elevator when it arrived. "Sam can do that, you know."

"Yeah, and if I had him tied to a chair, I would make sure there were no heavy objects in the room with us."

Jo rolled her eyes. "You are a moron."

"Yeah, but I'm good looking."

She smirked as the doors shut.

"That's debatable."

* * *

****

**Author's Note: I updated! Yay me! Sorry it took so long; I was out of town. Anyway, I know that Erin's mood swings are a little severe, but I was trying to portray the fact that she is (slightly) unbalanced and an extremely guarded person. Maybe hanging out with Sammy will help her work through some issues. ****She saw Jess and Dean...wonder what else she knows about Sam?**


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't care what she's been through, she's crazy!"

"I bet you wouldn't say that about Sam!"

"Sam doesn't throw people into walls supernaturally!"

The trio had made it back to the Roadhouse, followed by Ash. Of course, as soon they were inside, Jo and Dean started dueling verbally. To Sam, they were starting to sound like an old married couple. He would have made fun of his brother, but he was mentally preoccupied with something else.

"What in the hell is going on out here?" Ellen appeared from the storage room, drawn by the sound of Dean and Jo's voices. Her gaze fell to Sam, who was sitting on a bar stool staring at himself in the mirror.

"Sam, what's the matter with you?" Ellen put her hand under the younger man's chin and forced him to look at her. He was violently pale, and his eyes had a sunken look to them. She turned to the other two, concerned.

"What happened over there?"

"Your niece is freaking psycho, that's what happened!" Dean glared at the older woman. "She went all 'Carrie' chick on Sam."

"She didn't hurt him, and she really could have Dean." Jo folded her arms.

"I know all about that. Janey called twice already; said Erin wanted to make sure Sam was ok. Now, what the hell happened to make her snap like that?" Ellen waited for an answer.

"It was my fault. I pushed her. I'm sorry." Sam spoke up abruptly. Ellen's expression softened at Sam's apology. She sighed.

"It's not your fault, Sam. Erin's….she's very fragile. I told you she was an unbalanced person. She's not well, especially in the head."

"She's better than she should be. I mean, how many people could be that sane after everything she's been through?"

"Sam, what are you talking about? How would you know about Erin's past?" Ellen gave the younger Winchester a concerned look. She sincerely hoped Sam wasn't losing it.

"Mom, something happened at Erin's. When she and Sam shook hands, they passed out." Jo shot Sam a worried look. "Erin was really jumpy after it happened. And Sam never exactly said what happened."

"I think had somethin' to do with their psychic stuff, you know?" Ash was perched on another bar stool a few feet away. "Like shorting a breaker-box or something." He took a swig of the beer he had swiped from the cooler.

"That's what I said." Dean clapped his brother on the back. "But everything's fine, right Sam?"

"Yeah, fine. I'm going to get some sleep." Sam brushed Dean's hand off his shoulder and headed for the back room.

"Are you sure you're ok, Sam?" Jo was concerned for him, mainly because he acted like he wasn't even listening to them. Sam turned and smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." With that, he left the room.

"Well, I think we should all get some rest. Jo, why don't you help me finish up in here and let Dean go to bed?" Ellen gave her daughter a look that indicated it was an order, not a request.

"Alright, mom." Jo caught Dean's sleeve just as he made it to the doorway. "Dean, I'm worried about Sam. You're his brother; just make sure you keep a good eye on him tonight."

Any other person would have received a smart ass reply. Dean even thought about it, but decided not to when he saw Jo's face. She was honestly worried about Sam, and for some reason that made him a little less concerned.

"Aw, all this concern for Sammy? I gotta tell you, it's making me jealous." Then again, a little smartass never hurt...

The blonde rolled her eyes. "That's it. See if I ever ask you for anything again, Winchester." She turned on her heel and walked back to the bar. Dean watched for a minute before realizing he was doing exactly what Sam teased him about.

"Maybe I'll just smother him with a pillow……" The older Winchester grumbled to himself as he shuffled off to bed.

* * *

"_You don't even look at her anymore! She's your daughter, god damn it!"_

"_She's not fit to be called a kid!" _

"_Don't you talk about her that way, you sonofabitch! She's your child; you're supposed to love her no matter what!"_

"_She's a monster; you've seen what she does when she's mad!" _

"_You can't hate your child!"_

"_SHE'S A FREAK!"_

"_Momma? Momma?! Open the door Momma!"_

"_MOMMA!"_

"_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"_

Sam sat up in the cot and wiped the sweat off his face. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't getting to sleep tonight. Actually, this morning; the clock on the wall indicated it was nearly 5 a.m. already. And he hadn't slept a wink. He couldn't, not with all of Erin's memories resounding in his mind. Every time he tried to sleep, he could hear those voices. They were giving him a migraine.

Not to mention he kept seeing Erin every time he closed his eyes. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but he had no idea what that was. Did she know about the demon's plans for them? Despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake the feeling that he should go back over there.

Finally, after another half an hour of mulling it over, he slid off the cot and grabbed his shirt. Pulling it on, he eased across the room to the chair where his brother had thrown his pants. He snuck a cautious glance at Dean as he dug around for the Impala keys. After retrieving them, he snuck out of the room and shut the door quietly.

For some reason, all this was making him feel like a teenager sneaking out after hours. He grabbed his shoes from beside the door and eased down the hall, through the front room and finally out the front door.

Once he was outside in the parking lot, he jogged over to the car. Breathlessly, he unlocked the car door and slid in. He stared at the dash for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Dean's going to kill me…"

Shaking his head in disbelief, he switched on the ignition and slowly backed the Impala out of the parking lot. Not that driving slow was going to prevent Dean from hearing the car, but he was counting on his brother being too exhausted to wake up. Once on the highway, however, he floored it.

It took a few miles for him to realize that his migraine was subsiding.

* * *

By the time he pulled the Impala into a parking space at the apartment complex and made it up to the 4th floor, his migraine was all but gone. Standing outside her door, he glanced at his watch.

5:45. Why the hell did he think she would be awake at this hour? Mentally berating himself, he turned away from the door. Dean was going to be pissed, Jo and Ellen worried. Maybe he could make it back in time to sneak in before anyone woke up.

'_SHE'S A FREAK!'_

The voice cut through his head, making him wince. Putting one hand to his temple, he leaned against the wall.

'_Baby, don't go. You ran off before I could give you your surprise.'_

'_Stop it…please…'_

The voices reverberated in his mind, becoming one solid roar. He groaned in pain, unable to think clearly through the psychic barrage. Powerless to think of another solution, he gritted his teeth and pounded on the apartment door. Immediately, the voices became silent.

To his surprise, the door swung open. Erin stood before him, wearing a Fallout Boy t-shirt and pajama bottoms. She also looked like she hadn't slept all night.

"You're just going to stand out in my hallway?" She moved aside to let him in. Slightly confused, he went in. Although the voices had stopped, he still had a residual pounding in his temples. Not to mention the white afterglow his visions usually left.

She shut the door behind him and folded her arms. "Well, you're later than I expected." Putting a hand on his elbow, she steered him to the couch and sat him down. He was aware that she walked off, only to return minutes later.

"Here, these might help." She handed him a glass of water and two aspirin. He stared at them, questions burning in the back of his mind.

"They're not going to help you by sitting in your hand until they melt." Erin perched on the coffee table in front of him and folded her arms. He nodded and dutifully swallowed the pills, chasing them with the entire glass of water. Silent, she took the glass from him and returned it to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry….about earlier. I didn't hurt you, did I? I had Janey call the Roadhouse, but Aunt Ellen said that you weren't back yet." She stood at the sink, rinsing the glass.

He looked up at the sound of her voice, surprised. "No, I'm fine. And anyway, it's my fault for pushing you to talk." He couldn't tell for sure, but he thought he saw her laugh. Unsure of what else to say, he changed the subject.

"You said I was late. How did you know I was coming here?" He cleared his throat, trying to think of the right way to ask her what he wanted to know. "Was Dean right; are you psychic?"

"No, I'm not." She returned to the living room and sat on the couch arm. She smiled, but it was a smile touched with sadness.

"It's just……John told me that I reminded him of you at one time. So I figured that you would do exactly what I would do in this case. I'd come back, so I figured you might. I wasn't sure though."

"Well, I wasn't sure I was going to come back until about two seconds before I actually got up." He smiled awkwardly.

"So, what do you want to ask me about first: your dad, or the demon?"

The answer surprised him. After a few moments of silence while he tried to gather his thoughts, he answered her.

"I guess the demon's more important right now. How much do you know?"

"Not a lot. Probably as much as you do." She stared at her hands, lost in thought. It was unclear what she was thinking. Sam had opened his mouth to say something when she spoke.

"I know….there's a war coming. The demon… he wants to use the children like us as soldiers. But I don't understand how it's going to get us on its side." She slid off the couch arm onto the seat.

"I mean, with Webber it told him what to do, and he listened. But it can't do that with all of us. We're not all going to be that stupid; there are some of us that are hunters. We know what it is, so why would we listen to it?"

"Wait, just hang on a minute!" Sam put his hands up, trying to stop her rambling. "Back up; did you just say something about Webber?"

"Yeah, hang on." She got up and strode over to a small filing cabinet in the corner. Sam watched as she opened the bottom drawer and proceeded to pull out a safe box from inside. Returning to the couch, she sat the safe box on the coffee table.

"You're going to think this is really strange, but…." She unlocked the box and pulled out a stack of manila folders. Silently, she handed them to him and waited.

He took the folders, more than a little confused. Unsure of what he was supposed to do, he opened the first one. The contents of the folder surprised him.

"This is…..Max Miller?" He looked back to her, baffled.

"Yeah. I've been doing the same you have: tracking kids like us. Ash has helped me some, and all the information I've gotten I've documented in these." She gestured to the files. "I can't really think of anything to do with it. I was hoping that maybe I could find—..."

"Some sort of pattern, right?" He continued to read over Max's file. Everything he knew about Max was in there, not to mention the word 'Deceased' in the line labeled 'status'.

"Right. But the more I learn about them, the less of a pattern I see." She sighed and ran a hand threw her hair, frustrated. "How are we supposed to track them if there is no pattern?"

"Unless you count dying as a pattern." Sam closed Max's file and opened the next one.

"This is Andy."

"Yeah, I actually met him about two weeks after what happened to Webber. He's the only one I've actually met, besides you." She took his file and smiled. "Nice guy, but a little edgy."

"He was like that when I met him." He only glanced at the next one. "Webber."

"Yeah." She took the file and stared at it for a few minutes, silent.

He shook his head. "That guy…"

"Could be us." She sat the file back in the box and lowered her eyes. "What you said a few minutes ago, about dying being a pattern? I know you were joking but…" She looked to him.

"What if you're right? I mean, think about it. Max died because he was felt guilty over what he did. Webber died because…well he was evil. But what about us?"

She actually looked terrified. Sam was silent, unable to say anything comforting, mostly because he had the same thoughts.

"What are we, Sam? What category do we fall into: the ones that follow the demon or the ones that resist? Either way, there's a very high chance that we die."

"Maybe there's a third category."

"What do you mean?"

"You know…maybe we could be the ones that kick the demon's ass and save the world." He tried to smile blithely.

She studied him for a minute before laughing. Hearing her, he developed that goofy grin of his.

"Always the optimist, aren't you?"

"Believe me; I'm not always this cheerful. At least, that's what Dean would tell you." He went back to studying the files.

"What do you mean?" She adjusted her seat on the couch and turned to face him, pulling her legs up into an Indian-style situation. When he didn't answer, she prodded him in the arm.

"Ok, hypothetically; if I asked your brother to describe your general mood, what would he say?"

Sam thought about it for a minute and grinned. "You know. He says I'm a brooding, moping, staring-out-the-rainy-window while making deep and morose observations about life pretty boy."

"Oh my god. You're serious?!" She screeched, falling over backwards in hysterics.

He tried to resist giving in to the contagious laughter. "No, I'm not. Dean would never use the word morose in a sentence. I don't even think he knows the meaning…" He became a little more somber.

She pulled herself back up and sighed. "Ok, that was a good laugh. But seriously, I could see you staring out a rainy window making deep and morose observations." She beamed, trying to resist the urge to giggle.

"Oh yeah. And if I asked Jo about you, I'm sure she would give a shining description of your sunny and stunning disposition."

"Oh, I highly doubt it. She'd probably tell you I'm a high-strung, eccentric, psycho-pill-popping-I-see-dead-people-neurotic freak."

Sam gave her a surprised look. "You see dead people?"

She shoved him in the shoulder. "Haha, smartass. You know what I meant. It was just a figure of speak."

He laughed quietly. "I get it. Oh, and neurotic. That's another word Dean would probably use in his shining description of me."

"He knows the definition for _that_?"

"Oh, he knows big words that apply to him." He shifted through the files dispassionately, until he reached the bottom of the pile. The last two files caught his eye.

"Wait a minute. This says—…" He opened the first one, which was slightly thicker than the rest.

"Winchester, Samuel. You've got a file on me, too?" He looked up from the file, bewilderment in his expression.

"Um...yeah. Aunt Ellen sort of informed me about you as soon as she found out. She thought I should know." She frowned slightly, worried.

"I'm sorry if it upset or surprised you. But the truth is, you are another one of the children. It makes since I would have a file on you too. Besides, you were just supposed to be another statistic. I didn't actually think you'd be sitting in my living room. Especially after John died…."

She looked away to stare at the carpet. Sam watched her, trying to decipher what she was feeling. It was apparent that she was hurt over his father's death, which meant that she must have been closer to him than he thought.

"I'm not bothered by it. It just took me by surprise, is all." He sat the folder aside. "I understand why you'd have it." He opened the last file, mostly to find something to say that would break the silence.

The last file was longer than all the others, including his own. The picture included was of a girl who couldn't be any older than 16. She was wearing a school uniform. He skimmed the rest of the file, pondering to himself.

"This girl is really young…" He muttered under his breath, not really talking to Erin. He studied the girl's picture again. It was impossible that he knew her, but she looked so familiar. Maybe she just resembled someone he knew; either way, it was getting annoying.

It took him a minute to realize it. As he tried to recall where he might have seen her, his gaze drifted back over to the girl's personal information.

_Name: Kelsey Arlington (Birth name/ Kelsey Foster)_

'_Erin Foster. She's my sister's **oldest** daughter.'_

"Erin, the girl in this photo…"

"Sam, you saw inside my memory. I'm aware of everything you saw, so I know you witnessed the night my mom died. It's pretty obvious that I wasn't 6 months old then, so that screws the pattern. Of course, we've established there is no pattern." She sighed, still turned away from him.

"I was six _years _old that night. And the demon wasn't after me; it was after my baby sister." She turned back around and touched the picture.

"Her. Kelsey Foster, my little sister."

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated! Yay! The plot thickens...::cue dramatic music:: So, Erin's got files and a sister. Maybe next chapter will find out how exactly Erin knows John. (I'm being evil and cliffhanger-like, aren't I?) **


	7. Chapter 7

"So Kelsey is your little sister?"

It was half an hour later. After hearing Sam's stomach growl, Erin offered to make something to eat. While she scrounged around in the kitchen, he sorted through the rest of the files silently. So far, there was only one person he didn't recognize: a younger guy, around 17. However, he was more interested in her sister at the moment.

Now, they sat on the floor downing ham sandwiches and Cokes.

Erin took a giant swig of Coke and nodded. "Yeah, she just turned sixteen last month." She glanced at her sister's open file on the table. "Everybody says she looks like me. I don't see it."

He shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich, scanning the file indifferently until something caught his eye.

"Why is her last name different?" He swallowed and turned his head to look at her.

She finished chewing and nodded. "Well, you know when my mom died Aunt Ellen and Uncle Bill took me in. But, they had to raise Jo too."

"It would have been too hard for Ellen to raise all three of us, especially since Uncle Bill was always off on a hunt. So, a couple my parents knew offered to adopt Kelsey. Aunt Ellen had legal guardianship, so she just signed guardian status over to Viviane Arlington." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I got to see Kelsey everyday, so it wasn't that big of a deal. And Monroe, Kelsey's adopted dad, is the deacon of the church. I used to see them all the time when I went."

"And does Kelsey know you're actually her sister?"

"Yeah. Viviane told her when she was a little kid. She's always known." She took another bite of her sandwich.

He cleared his throat. "Do the Arlingtons know…how your mother died?"

She swallowed before talking. "To begin with, they just knew she died in a house fire. But when Kelsey began to throw her bowl of oatmeal across the room without touching it, we kind of had to tell them the truth. They already knew about hunters, but we weren't sure how they'd take the news about Kelsey." She took a sip of her soda.

"How did they take it?" Sam finished his sandwich and sat the paper plate aside. Despite their earlier encounter and Ellen's warnings, he was beginning to think Erin was a perfectly sane individual. A little eccentric, of course, but so was he. After all, how can you be normal when you can do things normal people can't?

"Not as well as I hoped. See, they never liked Uncle Bill or my dad. They're sort of upper-crust, and they thought hunters were beneath them. They sheltered Kelsey, sent her to a private school. They stopped letting her visit Aunt Ellen, and I had to go to their house to visit her."

She smiled sardonically, apparently amused. "That didn't work. Kelsey's abilities increased, probably because she felt isolated. I was the only person she could talk to about what was happening to her. But when Uncle Bill died, I started hunting as a regular job. I saw her less and less, and soon it had been over two months since I talked to her. By the time I got around to visiting, it had escalated."

"Escalated how? You mean her abilities?"

"During my last visit, she lifted a marble dining table and chucked it into the pool." She became serious.

"She'd never been able to do that before. I can't even do that, and I've tried to control my power ever since it started to manifest! The only reason I was able to throw you the way I did was my mental state. I was upset, and when I'm agitated it becomes amplified. If I'm calm, I'm lucky if I can move a coffee cup." She blew her hair out of her face, frustrated.

He was slightly surprised. "So, what? She's a telekinetic?"

"Yeah, but it's different. Both of us have telekinetic abilities _along_ with our other traits: my pyrokinesis and your visions. Kelsey only has telekinetic abilities; but they're at least 10 times more advanced than ours. It's….kind of creepy."

She laughed as if she just remembered something funny. "Your dad said she reminded him of 'Carrie' one time."

Sam gave her a wry smile. "Dean said the same thing about you earlier. He told Ellen all 'Carrie' chick on me."

She snorted derisively. "Yeah, I'm not nearly as scary as my sister. She gets this…I don't know, eerie calmness to her right before she hurls something at you. It's unnerving, to tell you the truth." She shook her head.

Sam downed the rest of his Coke and sighed. He had been at Erin's for over an hour, and so far they discussed the demon and some on Erin's life story. Not that he wanted to upset her again, but there was one question still nagging him.

"Erin, how did you know my dad?"

She took the trash form their meal into the kitchen and disposed of it. Returning to the living room, she flopped onto the floor and sighed wearily.

"I knew we'd get to that sooner or later." For a moment she said nothing, and simply stared at the carpet between them. It seemed to Sam she was either unsure of what to say, or thinking of how to say it.

"John Winchester. I told you I met him when Aunt Ellen did, which was about 14 years ago. He was a friend of Uncle Bill's, another hunter. My mom had been dead for two years, and my dad was long gone by then. The only people I knew were my aunt and uncle, and the rest of the Roadhouse gang. I didn't have any friends my age, except for Jo."

"Then one day, Uncle Bill brings this guy home. Says his name is John Winchester, that he was another hunter. Jo was timid around strangers, but I thought he was cool. I thought all hunters were cool; kind of like super heroes. Later that night, when I was supposed to be asleep, I snuck back downstairs to spy on the adults."

"I overheard Uncle Bill telling Aunt Ellen that this guy's wife died just like my mom did, and that he had two little boys. That really upset me, because I knew how his kids felt. At first, I thought maybe he was like my dad, and he ran away from his kids. But he didn't strike as somebody that would that, he was too nice."

"The next day, I caught him outside while he was cleaning his rifle. I didn't know what else to say, so I asked how old his boys were. He gave me a look like he wanted to ask me how I knew he had kids, but he didn't. Instead, he told me their ages and asked if I wanted to see a picture of them. I said yes, and he showed me the picture of you and Dean he kept in his wallet."

"After that, I followed him around and asked him questions nonstop. Like what it was like to be a hunter, and all that junk. He could have told me to buzz off, but he didn't do that either. He left that time, but he started to visit a lot. Every time, I stuck to him like glue, mostly because he put up with me. I like to watch him clean his weapons, and I was always asking him about hunting. He always answered my questions, even if I started annoying him. And I did annoy him."

She smiled disconsolately. "I guess you could say I got really close to him. Any time I had a problem, I went to him. I told him I wanted to start hunting as soon as I could drive. He laughed at me, but he could tell I was serious. I told him I wanted to find the demon that killed my mom. He was the one that told me the same demon that killed her killed Mary. After that, I knew nothing was going to stop me from finding that thing and destroying it. He tried to talk me out of it, but after a while he stopped trying to discourage me."

"It wasn't until after Uncle Bill's death that he started teaching me things. He didn't come to the house anymore, but he still showed up at the Roadhouse from time to time. When he was there, he showed me stuff. Like how to perform a proper exorcism, and how rock salt would disrupt spirits. He said if I was serious, then he was going to make sure I wasn't going get myself killed with ignorance."

"When I was 15, I moved in with the Arlingtons for a little while. Aunt Ellen and I had a fight, mostly because she blamed John for Bill's death and I didn't. Around the same time, I started getting awful migraines. After a couple of months, I started hearing things: voices, and things like that. I started seeing this…darkness, and I'd wake up from nightmares I couldn't remember. Finally, it got so bad that I had an episode in school one day and ended up in the psych ward of the hospital. When I refused to take any medications and wanted to leave A.M.A, they contacted Monroe and told him they wanted to keep me in solitary quarantine because they considered me a threat to myself and others."

"I was there for two weeks. I wouldn't take their meds, and I wouldn't let them stick me with any needles. I wasn't crazy; but I didn't know what was going on with me. During that time, the pryokinesis manifested itself. I ended up setting one of those rubber rooms on fire once, which was kind of interesting. Anyway, John showed up at the Roadhouse looking for me. I don't know why he was looking for me, but Aunt Ellen told him where I was and how I got there."

"You should have seen the looks on the nurse's face when John stormed into that hospital wing. He just barged into my room, snatched out my IV and informed the staff we were leaving. I think he also mentioned a death threat for anybody that tried to stop us. It wasn't we got back to the Roadhouse that he said anything to me. But when he did, he really let me have it. He told me I was an idiot, that moving out of Ellen's house wasn't going to solve any of my problems, and if I ever got myself thrown into a psych ward again, he was going to kick my ass. Of course, he meant all of it with love."

"I thought of him as the dad I never had. I got used to having him around, even so much that I started calling him Uncle John. But even so, I knew the more time he spent with me, the less he saw his own kids. I eventually started nagging him about spending more time with them. He told me that his oldest was a hunter too, but his youngest son hated him. I couldn't understand why his son would hate him, but he just said that he tried to make the boy someone he wasn't. I asked him all about you guys, and he told me what he could. He said that I reminded him of you, and that we would probably get along. He said that Dean was a show-off, but he had a heart of gold. And he said he loved both of you, but he was afraid that after all this time both of you resented him."

"He came to stay for about two months the last time. I let him stay here, because I had just started college and Janey hadn't moved in yet. He was going to stay longer, but I kept pressuring him to come see you. I told him that if he didn't make up with his children, he was going to regret it. I told him that I knew from experience that he was a great dad, and that neither of his sons could hate him. I don't know if was what I said or not, but he left here with the intention to see you two."

"Four months after that, Ellen phoned me to tell me that John's sons had come into the Roadhouse. She also told me that John was dead."

The tears came out of nowhere. He was shocked, unable to do anything for a minute. If he hadn't been looking at her, he wouldn't have known she was crying. Her voice was steady, even though she was shaking all over.

"I couldn't believe it at first; but Ellen told me it was true. She said she didn't know how it happened, but the both of you confirmed it. She told me you burned the body, and that you didn't stay long. She kept asking me if I was okay, and telling me that it was all right to be upset. She asked me if she needed to come over, or if I wanted to Jo to come and stay. And then, she got upset when I wouldn't answer her. But after I heard he was dead, I didn't really pay attention to the rest. All I could hear in my head was 'If I hadn't badgered him to go and see his kids, this wouldn't of happened.' It was my fau—"

Her voice broke, and she choked up. She held her head in her hands, yet she still wasn't making any sounds. Sam stared at her in silence, trying to think of something to say. He had thought she was hiding something about his father, but the only she was hiding was guilt. Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to him.

"It's not your fault, Erin. My dad made the decision he did on his own, for a reason. He didn't want anyone blaming themselves."

He bit the inside of his lip, trying to keep it together. The guilt she was feeling was crushing her, and he could see it in her face. No wonder she had acted was guarded earlier. She was scared that he would blame her once he found out the truth.

She looked him in the eyes for a moment, a look of surprise on her face. For just a second, she stopped crying and simply held his stare. But then, the tears started again and she fell forward onto his shoulder. Racking sobs shook her entire frame, and he could feel the reverberation. He could feel his shirt becoming damp from all of her crying. He closed his eyes and held her, afraid that he was going to lose it too. He wanted to say something, anything to comfort her.

But he knew that nothing he could say was going to make what she was feeling go away.

* * *

**Author's Note: Erin talks a loooot in this chapter, so just try not to get too bored lol. And we even see a little SammyxErin fluff starting awwww. Too bad it happened 'cause Erin was depressed. I know, Jo and Dean haven't appeared in the last two chapters. But I swear, we'll get back to them. I can't forsake the snarky couple, can I? And...I'm rambling...**


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you okay?"

It was over an hour later. Erin had sobbed into his shirt for most of that hour, and about fifteen minutes ago had abruptly retreated to the couch. He followed suit, careful to sit on the other end of the sofa so he wouldn't upset her again.

"Yeah. Sorry." She was speaking in monosyllables, looking away from him. He couldn't tell if she was angry, upset, or just uncomfortable with him. He cleared his throat, unsure of what to say. He got the feeling that this was a side of Erin a lot of people didn't see.

"You're not going to toss me into the wall again, are you?" He was only half-joking.

He heard a snort from the other end of the couch. "Why would I? You haven't done anything. I'm just…annoyed with myself."

"So you cried. It's not a crime."

She whirled around on the seat to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You wouldn't tell me about my dad because you thought I'd blame you, right? Well, I don't. You miss him; he was a good friend to you. It's all right to mourn him. Besides, the guilt was killing you; I could see it in your face."

He sat forward and sighed. "I don't feel like you…… kept him from me either. The problem between me and my dad….part of it was my fault. I'm the one that left home. I went to college and wanted a normal life. Before that, if my dad didn't come home, it was usually because we fought every time he was there." He smiled sardonically.

"He probably thought you were a better kid."

"Oh, sure. A psychotic college drop-out is sooo much better than a Stanford-bound lawboy." She flopped back against the back cushion and let out a deep sigh. Sam waited for her to say something. In the continuous silence, he thought about what she had told him. He knew that his dad had known Ellen for a while, but he never would have guessed he was that close to their family.

He couldn't say what he would have done if anyone else had told him that his dad helped raise them. Most likely, he'd feel betrayed and angry; or maybe he would think that his dad had tried to start over, like he screwed up with him and Dean. But with Erin, he couldn't feel that way. For some reason, it was more like watching his own emotions being played out in somebody else. He felt guilty about his dad's death too; only his guilt was caused by not sensing what his dad was going to do. If only he could have had a vision about that…

"We're pathetic."

He looked over as she sat forward again to stare at the coffee table. She had an expression of serious contemplation.

"And how exactly are we pathetic?"

"For starters, instead of getting some work done and discussing the demon, we're sitting here wallowing in self-pity." She shifted her gaze over to him. "Think about it. John wouldn't want us to sit here, dwelling on his memory when we could be trying to find the demon. In fact, he'd probably kick our ass if he was here."

"Well, you're right about that." He propped his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on top of his hands. Somehow, he knew this was Erin's way of cheering herself up. He went along with it, mostly because she had a point.

"Well, what do we do now?"

She glanced over at the clock and sighed. "I suppose you should go back to the Roadhouse. Jo gets up early, and she probably woke your brother up. Which means everyone's up, and your brother's probably pissed about his car." She snickered.

"You're right about that. He's going to kill me." He made a slight face. Standing up, he stretched for a minute. An idea came to him.

"Why don't you come back with me?"

She looked up at him from where she slumped lethargically on the couch. "What, to the Roadhouse? I…guess I could, but why?"

He shrugged. "Ellen seemed pretty worried about you. It'd probably convince her more if she saw you than if I told her. And, I want to talk about the demon some more. You could bring the files..." he gestured to the box on the table, "and we go over them again."

"You have a valid point." She hopped off the couch, seemingly more energetic. "So, my choices for how to spend my day are: go to the Roadhouse with you or sit here and watch daytime television while scarfing Cheese-its." She made a weighing motion with her hands as if she was really considering her options.

"Let me get dressed." She vaulted over the back of the couch and ran down the hallway in a flurry of excitement. Sam tried not to laugh at her apparent joy of being saved from daytime television.

"I'll be right back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Roadhouse, there was the most unusual scene unfolding. Dean Winchester was standing out in the dusty parking lot, wearing nothing but his blue jeans and a scowl. Jo stood on the porch, practically laughing her ass off at him.

"I'M GOING TO KICK HIS ASS!!"

He kicked up dust in vain, only succeeded in getting dirt all over his pants. Irritated and pissed off to no end, he threw up his hand in disgust and turned to go back inside. He was going to hike to town if he had to, but once he got his hands on Sam….

"Missing something, Dean?" Jo managed to get her giggles under control as he came even with the porch. Seeing the older Winchester aggravated to this extent was hilarious. It would only be funnier if she was the one that had irritated him to begin with.

"He…I'm…Just wait till I get hands on him…" At a loss for words, he made a wringing motion in the air.

"I'm going to choke him with my bare hands!" He stomped up the steps and brushed past the blonde.

"What's the matter, Dean? Losing your car make you feel insecure in your manhood?"

Jo leaned against the porch railing and smiled mockingly. Ok, so maybe she didn't commence the aggravation, but she'd be damned if she didn't get some fun out of it. After all, when you worked at a roadside bar in the middle of nowhere, you took her jollies where you could get them. In her case, that would be annoying the piss out of the elder Winchester brother.

Dean turned around and marched over to her, grabbing the porch rail on either side of her hips. Leaning in, he came closer until their noses were touching. Jo held her breath, unsure of what he was going to do. Part of her was hoping he would do something, and that's the part of her which made her heart race. It didn't help that he was completely naked from the waist up. He smiled that devilishly handsome smirk of his, and his eyes glinted mischievously.

"Don't. Mock. The. Car."

He let go of the railing and walked away before she could regain her senses. As he walked back inside he had the satisfaction that, for once, he had shut her up.

* * *

The Impala pulled into the parking lot two hours later. They would have been there sooner, but Erin suggested they stop at a diner in town and grab an actual breakfast. Sam couldn't argue, seeing as how the ham sandwich from earlier had long disappeared. But apparently, Sam noticed as he shut the engine off, their little detour gave Dean just enough time to reach his breaking point.

Before the younger Winchester could get out of the car completely, Dean had made it out the door and across the parking lot. And he was livid. Sam watched as his brother tried to resist the urge to throttle him. Was that a vein popping out of Dean's forehead?

"Sam."

"Yeah, Dean?"

"You are so dead." He took a menacing step towards his younger brother. "You stole my car! What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I **_borrowed_** your car, Dean. There's a difference." Sam tossed him the keys. "I brought it back, and I didn't run it into anything. Calm down."

"Calm down my ass. You took my car! Why did you take my car?" Dean was acting as if he had caught Sam having sex with his girlfriend, a reaction which Sam was finding increasingly amusing.

"What the hell is he raving about?" Erin came around the hood of the car with the safe box in her arms. Sam shrugged and started to explain, only to be cut off by Dean.

"Wait a minute. You stole my car to go pick her up? Sam, why?" Dean whined, grabbing his brother by the shoulders.

"Sam, this car is a delicate machine, not the taxi for the crazy farm! I'm not going to stand in the way of you getting laid, but for the love of god, stop picking up insane chicks!" He shook his younger brother roughly.

"Get off of me, Dean!" Sam threw his brother's hands off and shot him a glare. "First, we didn't sleep together. Second, she's not insane, ok? So just stop saying that."

Erin chimed in from behind the brothers. "Well, that depends on whether you mean insane in 'I slashed by ex's tires and torched a lemonade stand' or insane in 'We the jury find the defendant'. I would think I'm the former."

Sam turned to give Erin an incredulous look. "Where did that come from?"

She shrugged. "What? I thought it was a good explanation of my mental facilities."

"All right, whatever. I'm going back inside. And you--," Dean pointed to Sam threateningly.

"You are never touching these keys again. I'll sleep with 'em in my boxers if I have to." He spun around, heading back inside the bar. Sam looked back at Erin to see a look of disgust on her face.

"Erin?"

"I really didn't need to know what kind of underwear your brother wears." She gave a mock shiver. "Bad mental images…."

He grinned, amused. "Come on, we better go." They started across the parking lot together, making it all the way to porch before Sam asked.

"Did you really torch a lemonade stand?"

Erin opened her mouth to respond, only to be cut off by the sound of Ellen's voice as they walked through the door.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

"Hey, Aunt Ellen." Erin sat the safe box on the counter and walked around the end of the bar to give her aunt a hug. "How's it going?"

Ellen dutifully hugged the younger girl, nearly squeezing the life of her in the process. "It's going." She moved back so she could look Erin up and down. "How in the hell did Sam manage to convince you to come out of that hole you live in?"

Erin rolled her eyes and walked back around the bar to join Sam on the other side. "Oh, he just offered to rescue me from the horrors of daytime television." She patted Sam on the shoulder.

"Such a gallant hero."

Dean looked up from his place at a table in the back of the room. "Freakin' daytime television. That Snuggles bear's a bitch."

"Language." Ellen gave him threatening look, silencing anything else he was going to say.

Returning her attention to the two in front of her, Ellen just shook her head and sighed. "So, I suppose you two have worked out your differences. You're going to play nice, right Erin?" She shot her a warning glare.

"Yes ma'am. No more throwing people into walls, I got it." She sat down on the bar stool on Sam's right and exhaled. After a few minutes, she slumped forward onto the bar.

"I'm dying of boredom..."

Ellen patted her on the head lovingly. "I'll get you a beer. You drinking, Sam?"

He thought about it for a second. "Sure, why not?" At least it would give him something to do. Ellen nodded and went to retrieve some cold beers.

Meanwhile, Dean was surprised when Jo came over and plopped herself down on the chair beside him. He continued to the stare into his beer, and waited for her to say something. He didn't have to wait long.

"Why are you guys still here?"

He turned to look at her, nonplussed. "Isn't it obvious? We haven't had a hunt in three weeks. We've got nowhere to go. Besides," he looked her up and down before returning to his beer watching, "what are you doing here? Last time I called, your mom said you had gone off hunting." He held back his opinion of her being all alone out there, hunting on her own.

She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "I had to come back when Erin did." When she caught the millisecond look of surprise on Dean's face, she smirked. "What, you thought I was out there all alone? I don't care how big a fight my mom and me got into, that would never happen."

Dean gave the girl at the bar with his brother a once-over. "So, she's a good hunter?"

Jo nodded enthusiastically. "She doesn't talk about it, but before dropped out of college her majors were mythology and parapsychology. If it's supernatural she's killed, exorcised, or studied it. Plus, she trained with your dad." She looked apologetic. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

He shrugged. "Doesn't bother me." He took a swig of beer and swallowed. "If my dad trained her, at least I know you're not going to die."

"Aw, were you worried about me, Princess?" Jo gave him an overly-dramatic starry-eyed look. "That's so cute."

"Cut it out; you're scaring me." He finished his beer. "That face doesn't work for you."

"Ok, how about this?" She gave him saddest puppy-dog look she could muster.

He stared at her for a few moments before groaning in defeat. "Ok, ok. Just stop it! You're making me want to donate to charity of something…"

"Or maybe this." She batted her eyelashes seductively and leaned closer to him.

"What are you doing?" He instinctively backed up, despite the fact that he was already on the edge on his chair.

She put his hand on his knee and leaned close enough to whisper. "Dean…"

He couldn't move, let alone breathe. Instead, he tried to focus on something, anything else. Like the fact that her mom was in the back and could walk out at any moment. Or the fact that she was younger than him. Or….was she licking her lips?!

He swallowed, hard. "Jo, you need to…" He trailed off as she leaned close enough that he nose was touching his cheek, while her hand wandered farther up his thigh. Damn it, this was getting out of hand.

"Dean…"

"Yeah?" He breathed the answer, unable to do much else.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" A triumphant grin broke out across her face as he realized this was retaliation for earlier and not an attempt to seduce him.

"Go to hell." He snatched his leg out of her reach and sulked as he stared at his empty beer bottle. Jo howled with laughter.

"You should have seen your face!" She laughed so hard she cried.

"Go clean a damn table or something."

She started to answer, but instead just let out another cackle. Dean groaned and shook his head. He was never going to live this down.

Jo managed to get a breather into between guffaws and put her hand on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked over to see her face red and her eyes gleaming with tears. He gave her a blank stare, attempting to appear unruffled.

"What?"

She beamed at him in amusement. This was by far the funniest thing she had ever done to him.

"You're blushing."

Dean stood abruptly and stalked towards the back door. Sam, noticing his brother's expression, turned away from the bar.

"Hey Dean, where're you going?"

He paused at the door, his hand on the knob. He didn't dare turn around to answer his brother's question, just in case Jo was telling the truth about his face.

"To the hose. To take a cold shower."

Ellen returned from the back just as the door slammed shut. Bewildered, she gave Erin a confused look.

"What happened?"

Erin shrugged. "No idea. But Jo sounds like a hyena back there, so maybe she knows."

Ellen turned her attention to her daughter, who had sauntered up to the bar. But before she could even ask her, Jo face turned a peculiar shade of scarlet as she cracked up again.

"Never mind." Ellen handed the two at the bar their beers and shook her head. "I don't even want to know."

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated again, yay! I tried to give Jo and Dean equal spotlight time, which resulted in the little contest they're having. I'm trying to speed up the story, mostly because I'm known for drawing out a plotline (once, I wrote ten chapters of a story before I realized that absolutely no time had passed in the storyline. It was still the same day.) But you guys tell me if I start rushing, ok? Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Where's Dean?"

Jo ambled over to the table which Sam and Erin had overtaken. Papers, files, and notes lay strewn across the tabletop. Sam was gone for the moment, apparently taking a bathroom break. They had been at it since this morning; it was dark now, and they were still holed up in their little cubby.

Among the clutter was Erin's files and John's notebook, which was currently being dissected by Erin. Absorbed in the book, she didn't even look up when she heard Jo's voice.

"Uh……I think he's out of the porch." She looked away from the book long enough to scribble something on a piece of paper.

Instead of bothering her cousin further, Jo just turned away and went back to the bar. She passed Sam coming back from the bathroom. As she watched him walk back to the table, she couldn't help noticing how well he and Erin were getting along. They had only known each other for a day and a half, but Erin was more comfortable around him than anyone else Jo had seen her with.

On the other hand, Jo had been around Dean for three straight weeks and she couldn't keep her sarcasm silent long enough to have a normal conversation with him. If he wasn't so damn cocky, maybe she wouldn't do things to him like earlier. Plus, he totally deserved it.

Then why was she feeling guilty about it? Throwing her bar rag down in frustration, she stomped across the floor to the back door and flung it open.

"Dean?"

"What?" He was sitting on the porch steps, staring out into the woods. Quietly, she shut the door and joined him on the steps.

"What are you doing out here? You been out here since this morning?"

He was silent, still staring at the woods with his elbows propped on his knee; his chin resting on his entwined fingers.

Dean was being quiet, which couldn't be good. She half expected something to blow up, or a bucket of pig's blood to be dumped on her head. Unable to think of anything else to say, she sighed.

"Are you still mad about--.."

"We got a hunt."

Jo stopped talking and gave him an incredulous look. "What?"

Dean took a deep breath. "Ash got a hit earlier today. We've got a hunt."

She leaned forward so she could his face. "Why haven't you told Sam? Or better yet, why did Ash tell you and not me or Erin?"

He didn't answer.

"You would stop with that brooding loner thing?!" She slapped him on the arm. "Tell me Ash didn't tell us about the hunt."

"Because I told him not to." He swatted her arm away, but still refused to look at her.

She bit her lip, trying to refrain from taking his head and shoving it into the porch floor. "You still think I shouldn't be hunting."

"Jo, look. I know hunting let's you feel close to your dad and all. But damn it, can you do something not so….fatal? I mean, Evil Knievel's kids don't go jumpin' big rigs with dirt bikes to feel closer to him, do they?"

She glowered at him. "First off: I don't think Evil has kids. Second: despite your worries, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. And I've Erin to back me up if I get in over my head. Which I don't."

"Yeah, Erin. Sorry, but I've never seen her in action. I don't what she's capable of doing in a life or death situation."

"What, do you think you can protect be better than she can?"

"I don't think, I know! I've been doing this a lot longer than both of you!"

"And Erin's been doing this since she was able to handle a gun. She's just as good as you, if not better. And I've got training, Dean. I'm not going into this blind."

"I don't care. You're going to get your ass killed."

"And that's none of your business. The fact I want to hunt for a living is none of your business. Why do you care what I do anyway?!"

"Because I care about you, damn it!" Jo eyes widened at his last outburst. Whatever retort she had planned in her head fizzled out. What was she going to say to that?"

"Dean…"

"What I meant was: you're a…friend. And I just don't want you mom coming after me for inadvertently getting you killed."

He was covering up what he really meant. She swallowed her frustration at him and tried to manage a calm tone.

"Dean, it doesn't matter what you think. I'm going to continue hunting, and you can't stop me. So, that case Ash gave you? Forget it. We're taking it." She stood up and folded her arms.

"The hunt's mine and Erin's."

He stood up and glared back at her. "Hell no."

"You don't own me, Dean! You can't tell me what I can or can't do!" Her fists were balled; she was seconds away from crying. Why was it that he pissed her off so much? And why couldn't just see her as an equal hunter, instead of some china doll?

"Fine. You take the hunt. But me and Sam are coming along. And that--..." he cut her off as she started to protest, "is my final answer."

She seethed for a minute before conceding. "Fine. We leave first thing in the morning."

"All right then." He brushed past her to go back inside. She followed, albeit slowly.

"Sam." Dean's tone was all business, making his brother look up from the file he was poring over.

"Yeah, Dean?"

"Put up your papers. We got a hunt." He threw a glance to Erin. "We all do, so we should probably get some sleep."

Erin turned her attention to her cousin as she walked through the door. "That true, Jo? We're all doing a hunt together?"

Jo regarded Dean for a minute. "Yeah, we are." She sighed. "We're heading over in the morning, so I'm going to stay the night at your place. Is Janey there?"

"No, she's at her brother's for the week. She said it was easier to study over there. Finals week, you know. You can stay in her room." Erin gathered her files and dropped them back into the box. "I guess we can go."

"You guys don't need a ride back?" Sam helped her straighten the rest of the papers and stood up with her.

"No, we'll take Jo's jeep." She shrugged and picked up the box off the floor. "Like I said, ready when you are."

"Let me get my coat." Jo strolled into the back room, throwing a suspicious look at Dean as she passed. Something wasn't right; he had given in waaaay too easily. The Dean she knew would never have gotten to an agreement that quickly, even if he was just arguing for fun.

"Jo, you sure you're going to be okay?" Ellen gave her daughter a worried look as she emerged form the back with her coat. She had compromised with Jo by letting her go with Erin on hunts, but she still worried about her daughter's safety. Not that she doubted Erin's hunting abilities, but how could they how well they could protect each other in a dangerous situation?

"Mom, I'll be fine. Besides, you heard." She gave Dean a sickeningly sweet smile. "Dean and Sam are going to be there the whole time."

Ellen immediately whirled on the older Winchester. "Listen to me and you listen good, boy. If either one of these girls come home with so much as a hangnail, I'm hunting you down myself and making a purse out of your ass, got it?"

"I got it." Dean gave the blonde the most threatening evil eye he could muster. That was it; as soon as he had her alone, he was going beat her senseless with a shotgun or any other blunt object he could get his hands on…

Sam tried not to laugh at his brother. It wasn't often Dean was beaten at his own game, much less by a girl. Of course, if he didn't want to crap beaten out of him, then it was probably a good idea not to let Dean see him laughing.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Erin gave him a warm smile as she left the table to walk to the door. He returned the smile, although his as somewhat strained. What was Dean thinking, by letting those two go with them? Either he had completely lost his mind, or he was planning something. Sam really hoped it was the latter.

* * *

They were half way to the apartment before Jo spoke up. She had been silent until now, mostly because she was trying to make up her mind. Finally, she made a decision. 

"We're leaving tonight."

Erin was surprised by her sudden statement, but not entirely shocked. Why did she have the feeling this had something to do with Dean Winchester? "I thought you said we were leaving in the morning."

"I did. But we need to leave tonight." She folded her arms. "Dean's going to try and steal this hunt from me. He's done it before, all because he's a chauvinistic asshole."

"Oh, you're talking about the Holmes case." She smiled, amused. "Yeah, but didn't you end up sneaking along and getting kidnapped by the spirit anyway? And Dean had to rescue you?"

"That never would have happened if he hadn't stolen the case to begin with!" Jo huffed with indignity.

"Ok, ok. Calm down. God. How are we even going to get there? We don't know where the hunt is."

Jo pulled a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket. "When I went to get my coat, I did a little snooping on Ash's computer. This is the last thing that was pulled up on his screen. I copied the coordinates." She waved the paper triumphantly in the air.

Erin raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, well. Looks like you're catching on pretty quickly."

"Ok, we'll go to the apartment and get some supplies together: rock salt, ammo and that stash of holy water I got from Monroe. Then, we'll hit the road." She threw a sideways glance at Jo.

"You know, he's just doing it because he cares about you."

"I know…..Still an asshole, though…" she slumped against the passenger window and sulked.

* * *

"Ok, Dean. Exactly what the hell are you thinking?" Sam sat on the edge of his cot and watched his brother stuffed random clothing and weapons into his bag. Now he was starting to think Dean really had lost it. 

He looked up from his ferocious attempt to stuff the last of his clothes into the bag. "We're not waiting until tomorrow to leave."

"Ok, I figured it something along those lines. Now, why is that?" Sam waited for an answer.

"Because, she wants to go on a hunt. I don't want her anywhere near a hunt, mostly because of what happened last time. You know, she might not get kidnapped this time. The bastard might just decide to gut her or something. Plus, she's down-right irritating and I don't want to have to strangle her myself before we even get started on a hunt."

"I'm guessing you're talking about Jo."

"No, the Good Humor ice cream lady. Yeah, I'm talking about Jo." He finished stuffing the clothes in the bag and set it off the cot.

"But Dean, she's been hunting for a while now. She's probably got enough experience under her belt to take on this hunt. And Erin; we were talking today while we were looking over that stuff. Dean, she knows a lot about hunting. She knows her stuff, and I'm pretty sure she's been on enough hunts to qualify as experienced."

"I don't care. You heard Ellen; she'd kill me if I let anything happen to Jo. Besides, you and me work alone. It's always been that way, and I happen to like it that way." He threw an empty duffel bag at Sam.

"So pack your shit. We're heading out as soon as Ellen leaves for the night."

Sam stared at the bag in his hands and sighed. There was no use arguing with his brother; once Dean made up his mind that was it. Still, he wished he had some way to tell Erin what need was doing. It felt like he was betraying her trust for some reason.

"What are you sitting there for? Start packing."

* * *

**Author's Note: Mostly a Dean&Jo-centric chapter. Well, it seems like Erin and Sam aren't the only ones that think a like... I didn't notice until the end, but I did a lot of POV jumping in this chapter. Sorry if it was confusing to you guys. On a side note, my cousin asked me to make a Dean and Jo video on YouTube for this fic. **

**If you want to see it, you have to search "More Than A Feeling - DeanxJo" on YouTube. I normally wouldn't do this, but maybe some of you guys could go and tell me what you think of it?:does the puppy-dog eyes:**


	10. Chapter 10

"Damn it." Jo hung up the phone and slapped it down on the dash of the jeep. She slumped in her seat, seething. Beside her, Erin kept one hand on the wheel while changing radio stations with the other. The brunette threw a glance at her car-mate.

"What's up with you? Is everything ok?"

The blonde blew a piece of hair out of her face, frustrated. "Oh, everything's fine. Except for the fact that the no-good, chauvinist, lying, stealing—."

"Ok, calm down. I'm going to assume you're talking about Dean Winchester."

"Damn right."

"What did Aunt Ellen say, exactly?"

Jo took a deep breath. "Ash said that he heard the Impala peel out around 1:00. Which means Dean and Sam left last night so Dean could sneak off to the hunt without me. He tried to steal my hunt again, and when I find him I swear to God--…"

Erin held up hand for silence. "Once again, calm down. First of all, we know where the hunt is. It's not like he knows something we don't. Second, when and if we catch up to them, you're not killing anyone with written consent and a will. Got it?"

She exhaled sharply as a thought came to her. "Although, it's going to be hard to find them. If they left at midnight, they're at least two hours ahead of us by now. Its 6:00 now and we're just now coming into town …" She glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Yeah, but that's a lot of time to work with. Even if they've been here for two hours, they can't have done much. Nobody's awake!" Jo gestured to the darkened houses on either side of the street.

"Besides, the first thing Dean's going to do is get a room and find some food. I know him. And this town isn't that big, so there can't be too many places to get breakfast. We'll search all of them if we have to." Jo sat back, a smug expression on her face. Dean wasn't going to outsmart her any time soon.

Erin sighed in resignation. "Ok, fine. You know, we could just go straight to the site and you could still rub that in his face."

"Nope. I want to see his expression when we walk in and surprise the hell out of him. He thinks I'm not good enough to hunt? Well, he's gonna have to get up pretty early to pull that shit on me."

"Earlier than 1:00? I don't know Dean that well, but I think you're pushing it."

"It was a figure of speech. You know---Just drive." She put her foot on the dash and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"I still don't see why we had to leave so early." Sam stared at his over his cup of coffee. Dean had his head propped up on the palm of one hand, and he looked like he was about to drop off. 

"I told you, I didn't want her following us." He gave Sam a look. "She'd do it, too."

"What is the big deal with Jo and Erin coming with us? She's not that bad, you know. Jo, I mean." He took a sip of his coffee and sighed.

"One: she's freaking annoying. Two: she's a pain. Three: see 1 & 2." Dean held up his fingers for emphasis and sighed.

"And there's the death threat from Ellen. Don't know if you've realized it, but she's scary."

"You're scared of Ellen? Man, you have issues."

"I have an issue. Its name is Jo."

"I haven't seen you this freaked out about a girl since Dad told you all girls had cooties in the 5th grade after Stacy McGuiness kissed you."

"How do you even remember that? You were only 7!"

"Hey, you're the older brother. Embarrassing, blackmail worthy things don't happen as often to you. I make sure to remember every one of them."

"Bullshit. You couldn't remember a lot."

"In the 8th grade, your pants leg got caught in the camera tripod on school picture day, which resulted in the camera falling and a nice shot of your bare ass." Sam didn't even look up from the newspaper he was skimming over, although a small smile cracked his face.

"You're a bitch, you know that?"

"Jerk."

* * *

"Impala! Pull over!" 

"Jo, that could be anybody's car."

"I recognize the license plate. PULL OVER!" She began to pull on Erin's right arm fitfully. "Pull over, pull over, hurry up and pull over!"

"Ok, just get off me woman!" She managed to shake Jo off her arm and maneuver the jeep into an empty parking space at the same time. Shutting off the engine, she shot her cousin a glare.

"Do you want to die? Next time you do that, the vehicle is going through a wall."

Jo had already gotten out and around the front of the jeep by the time Erin shut her door. The brunette rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Jo, we're just going to see Dean and Sam, not buy a puppy. Calm down!"

"You're such a killjoy."

"Just shut up and walk. I missed sleeping last night, so I need caffeine before I'm civil." She glanced up at the diner's sign before following Jo into the place. It was a small mom-&-pop place, with a cozy, homey atmosphere.

As the door shut behind her, she got the feeling that the entire restaurant turned to look at her. In front of her, Jo scanned the small crowd eagerly. A few seconds passed before she perked up and headed straight for the back of the place. Erin shook her head and followed. Why did she get the feeling there was going to be a scene?

In the back, Sam was on his second cup of coffee. Dean was still in a sleep-deprived slump, but at least he perked up enough to down at least four half-&-halfs. It was official; Sam would never understand the eating habits of his brother.

"How can you drink that stuff straight?" He grimaced as Dean downed another one.

Dean looked at him, nonplussed. "What? They're really good. Try one, you'll----Aw, damnit!"

"What?" Sam gave him a perplexed look. It took him a few minutes to figure out what Dean was cursing about, but he soon figured it out.

Jo sauntered up and slammed her palms down on the table top. She smirked, although even the smirk had a faint tinge of pissed off.

"Hey honey. Miss me?"

"What the—how the hell did you get here?" Dean stood up, his irritation apparent.

"You're not the only one with a brain, Dean, although you may be the only one incapable of using it."

"I'm going to ignore that."

"Just as well, you probably didn't understand any of it."

Erin appeared beside Sam and motioned for him to slide over. He complied, allowing her to take a seat beside him. She gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god, a sane person." A relieved smiled broke across her face. He returned the smile, actually happy to see her.

"You consider me sane?"

"You're a lot saner than the woman that complained about Dean Winchester for three whole hours. All the way here. Nonstop. I don't even think she stopped to take a breath. Pancakes."

She directed the last comment at the waitress that had wandered over to the table, apparently drawn by the newcomers. Having taken Erin's order, she stepped back and gave the other two a wary look. Erin waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Oh, ignore them. They're newlyweds and the honeymoons over, you know? It's kind of sad, in a way." She gave the bickering couple a sympathetic stare. The waitress nodded, understanding.

"I'll just come back for her then." She departed, notepad in hand. Erin turned back to face Sam, only to find him giving her a peculiar look.

"What? I just worked with what I had. They _do _look like a married couple."

"If Dean hears you say that, you're dead."

"Same goes for Jo. I've never seen someone hold such a deep irritation for another person's existence before. It's exhausting just listening to her." She slumped over and laid her head down on the table top.

"I'm so tired! I had to leave at 3:00 this morning to satisfy her obsession with beating you guys here, and it seems my sleep deprivation was in vain! My back hurts, my eyeballs itch, I had Cheetos for breakfast, I haven't slept, I've had zero cups of coffee, I had to listen to Fran Drescher over there whine about Dean, and I think I hit a bunny…." She whined, her head resting on her folded arms.

Sam patted her back reassuringly, amused at her description of their trip. "I'm sorry." He slid the half-&-half dish over to her.

"Want one?"

She raised her head to stare at the dish before turning to him, perplexed. "You are a strange man. Who would drink those?"

"Hey, Dean drinks them."

"I rest my case. _Weird._" She pushed the dish back to other side of the table and laughed. "Thanks, but I think I'll wait for my pancakes."

"Good choice." He sat back and regarded his cup of coffee for moment. After a second, he offered it to her.

"Here, this might help. I drank some of it, but I don't think I have any strange viruses I could pass so---."

She took the cup and happily took a giant gulp of coffee. Swallowing, she beamed at him.

"Oh my god, I can feel my toes again. Seriously, Sam I think I love you." She took another sip of the coffee, sighing in contentment.

"I have caffeine and all is right with the world."

"You're a jackass!" The sound of Jo's voice resonated throughout the restaurant.

"Except that." Erin exhaled and set the coffee cup down. She slid out of the booth and gently guided her cousin away from the eldest Winchester. Directing Jo to the other side of the booth, she gestured for her to sit down.

"Jo, sit down. You're scaring the townspeople."

"I'm not sitting down. We're leaving." The blonde folded her arms defiantly.

Erin gave her a look that signified her patience was wearing thin. "Jo, I'm hungry and I need caffeine. Plus, I ordered pancakes. Do you remember what happened last time you stood between me and pancakes?"

Immediately, Jo slid into the booth in quiet resignation, although she was not happy. Satisfied with her cousin, Erin wheeled around on Dean. Silently, she pointed to the booth.

"You too. Sit."

"You can't order me around. What in the hell makes you think I'd listen to you?"

"I said SIT, Winchester!" The death glare emanating from the brunette was enough to turn even the most macho man into a mouse.

Dean slid into the booth beside Jo meekly. Elbowing his seat mate, he leaned over to whisper something to her.

"Are you sure she's not your mom's kid? Cause that was Ellen-scary."

Jo just rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her. Erin took her former seat beside Sam, and took a deep breath before talking.

"Now listen. I know that you two can't stand each other. I get it, ok? But I refuse to go through this entire hunt listening to the two of you bickering like a couple of ten-year-olds.

Dean, we caught up with you guys. We here, deal with it. Jo, you rubbed the fact that he's an idiot in Dean's face enough. Stop gloating; it makes you look as dumb as him. We're going to do this hunt together, and that's the end of the discussion. If you want to yell and insult each other, fine. Then you two can ride together in the Impala everywhere we go, and we'll take the Jeep. Got it?"

She sat back and stared at them. When they didn't answer, she sighed in contentment.

"Good. I'm so glad we understand each other."

"Erin, you sound like my mom."

"Yeah, well I'm dealing with two immature people. Of course I'm going to sound like a mom."

"Did you call me an idiot?" Dean's eyebrow shot up as he caught on to the not-so-subtle insult.

Erin gave him an innocent expression. "I was just going on Jo's description of you."

As Dean turned to confront Jo, Sam leaned over and whispered to Erin.

"Why did you tell them not to fight if you're just going to provoke them?"

She stifled a snigger.

"Because it's just so funny. Look at them!"

"I knew you were evil." He sat back in the booth and gave her a haughty look. "I am so disappointed in you."

"Oh, get over it. Like I said, they can just ride together. Besides, I don't think that either one of us is going to ride with them anywhere. Think about how much they'll bitch about each other _after _all this." She raised an eyebrow and waited an answer.

"…….I'm riding with you."

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated, although it's kind of just a filler chapter. Dean and Jo bicker like they're married (as usual) and Sam and Erin bond over their shared exhaustion of listening to their relatives bitch about each other. I swear, there's going to be an actual hunt going up in these chapters. Eventually...Maybe...some far-off day...Until then, thanks for reading! (That's sounds so after-school special...)**


	11. Chapter 11

"Finally, peace and quiet. Silence is golden, you know."

"Yeah, but duck tape's silver."

Sam shut the laptop and sighed. It had been over an hour since they had left the diner. After getting rooms at the local inn (separate rooms, of course), the four of them had headed out to the site to scope it out. True to their jesting, he had shared the Jeep with Erin while Jo took the Impala with Dean. He had to admit; it was a nice change from riding with Dean's bitching and loud mullet-rock.

Erin cracked a one-sided smiled at his remark.

"Hilarious. So, what are the details on this case we're working? Because all Jo gave me were directions." She wrenched the wheel as Dean took a hard right in front of them. Sam was unceremoniously slammed into the console as the Jeep struggled to regain traction on the muddy trail.

"Damn! I'm glad I grew up on dirt tracks; otherwise I couldn't keep up with your brother." She gave him a sidelong glance.

"Sorry about that…"

He straightened his position in the seat and laughed. "Don't worry about it. Believe me; I've been through worse riding with Dean."

"I believe you. What does he think he's doing, the Indy 500?" She sped up and rounded the next curve around 60, causing Sam to be slammed into the door. Erin kept her eyes locked on the vehicle in front of them, biting her lip both in concentration and apologetically.

"Damn it! I'm so sorry, Sammy."

There was a sudden silence as the vehicle straightened itself on the road. Instinctively, Sam opened his mouth to reply with his usual retort to that particular nickname. He was beaten to the punch by Erin, who had developed a strange expression.

"I meant Sam. Sorry."

Slightly taken aback, he just nodded. "It's ok; it's not a big deal."

"I know you don't like anyone to call you that. Not even Dean. So, I'm sorry."

She focused on the Impala's bumper and fell into an uncomfortable silence. Sam joined her in silence, unable to think of anything to say. She was right; he hated that name, even when his brother called him that.

So why didn't it bother him when she said it?

Normally, the name 'Sammy' sounded immature and childish. It sounded like whoever called him that was talking down to him. But when Erin said it, it was different.

She made it sound……intimate. Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat, although his uneasiness wasn't exactly caused by negative thoughts.

"Sam…. Your mom used to call you Sammy, didn't she?"

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his self-induced reverie. Clearing his throat in an effort to focus on other things beside what had just run through his mind, he hesitantly answered her.

"I…wouldn't know. I can't remember much about my mom but…Dean said that she did. She called me that all the time." He lowered his eyes to the computer in his lap, mulling things over in his head.

"My dad called me that too. I don't know, I guess that name just reminds me of…everything I've lost."

She gave a slight nod, taking a left behind Dean.

Having answered her, Sam lapsed back into silence. He couldn't tell what was on her mind, but he suspected it had something to do with the mention of John. Even though he hadn't said his father's name, Erin was wearing the same expression she had every time she talked about him.

Someone else might be offended or confused at the amount of mourning Erin was exhibiting for John Winchester, but Sam felt sympathy for her. Granted, he had lost his father. But he was starting to suspect that John was the only person that had ever seen Erin for who she truly was.

He was the only person that saw the Erin that Sam had seen: the broken, insecure little girl that had survived an emotionally broken home only to fall into the underworld of hunters. He knew that he had only seen a glimpse of the events that had made Erin who she was today, but judging by that he was still amazed at how well-adjusted she was.

"Um….what about the case, Sam?"

"Oh, right." Grateful for anything that would the suffocating silence in the Jeep; he opened the laptop back up and pulled up the local newspaper. Scanning the headlines briefly, he soon found the article he was searching for.

"Right. Uh, it says here that in the past two months there have been over 20 homicides in this county, 6 of those in this particular area alone. All of them are unsolved, and all of them show the same MO." A few more clicks brought up another headline, this one from the previous month.

"The paper says that the first three were considered freak accidents. It wasn't until the fourth that an official investigation was called." The accompanying photos and information made Sam's blood run cold.

Beside him, Erin navigated through the mud and water in relative silence. She was contemplating, building a case file in her head and reviewing the new information. Something wasn't adding up.

"That's strange. Why would they think that three homicides were just freak accidents?"

Sam cleared his throat uneasily and read from the article. "'The bodies were found in a severe state of disintegration due to conflagration. No obvious cause of death has been determined. Medical examiners are suggesting a freak storm, which caused property damage, to be the culprit.'"

"They thought that lightning caused the first three deaths. Erin, these bodies…..they were cooked from the inside out."

Erin slowed down long enough to take her eye of the road and catch his eye. She looked confused, but he could read the same suspicion in her face.

"Erin, a few months ago Gordon Walker tried to kill me. He wanted to get rid of the children like us before we turned. Dean and I stopped him, but not before he killed another guy: Scott Carey."

He looked down at the newspaper article on the screen, trying to keep up with his own train of thought.

"Scott had the power to electrify living things. Now, I know he's dead. But I also know that there's more than one of us out there with the same power. Erin……"

He looked back to her, fear and grim realization overcoming his expression.

"I think whoever did this…is one of us."

She bit her lip in concentration, trying to determine the best course of action. Silence followed his remark as she furiously processed the information.

"Call your brother and tell them. If you're right, then Dean and Jo could be in danger when we find whoever did this. I mean, they can't possibly go up against a psychic alone. Without abilities, they'd be sitting ducks."

Without a word, Sam hit Dean's number on speed dial and put the phone to his ear. Despite his brother's bad-ass demeanor, Erin had a point.

Two rings sounded before someone came on the line.

"Yeah?"

Sam took the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment, perplexed. After a second, he brought it back.

"Jo? Why are you answering Dean's phone?"

He could a popping sound on the other end which sounded a like tape being slid into the tape player.

"Because your brother is too busying driving with one hand and playing air guitar to Metallica with the other to answer the phone."

Dean's voice echoed other the other end, although the music prevented Sam from hearing him.

"Dean says----That's not funny; you have a sick sense of humor! Sam, your brother is seriously deranged. I think he's come unhinged." The sound of Jo's laughter hit Sam's ear, followed by Dean's snickering. Apparently, Dean was being his charmingly witty self.

"Jo? Jo, listen to me. I need to talk to Dean."

"All right, hang on just a minute." There was a rustling sound, after which everything became muffled as if Jo had her hand over the speaker.

"Dean? Sam---no, don't start singing again! You're tone-deaf and it's just pathetic. Here; talk to your brother, you moron." The sound of the phone being moved through the speaker followed by Dean's voice.

"Yeah?"

Sam exhaled. "Dean, listen to me. I did some research on these murders. All of the victims were fried from the inside out. Now, I don't know for sure but Erin and I both seem to think that one of us did it."

"'One of us' as in the two of you?" Dean sounded puzzled.

"No, I mean it's a psychic like us. Scott Carey, the guy Gordon killed before he came after me? He had the same ability: to electrify people and animals. Whoever killed these people must have the same ability."

"All right, thanks for warning me. I'll keep it in mind. Listen, we're almost to the site. Just another couple of miles, so tell your girlfriend. I'll see you there."

The sound of a dial tone hit Sam's ear. He took the phone away and stared at the screen for a minute. Dean was occupied with something else, he could tell. Either it was the case that was bothering Dean, or Sam's teasing about Jo wasn't exactly off target. His older brother's last comment had pushed Sam's 'baby brother' button, and he gave the phone one last obstinate look.

"She's not my girlfriend….."

"Did you say something, Sam?" Erin gave him a sidelong stare.

He sat back in his seat and willed the heat in his face to go away.

"Nope. Not a word." He adjusted his position and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"Well, what did they say?"

He shrugged. "I told Dean; he said they keep it in mind. The site's just a few miles ahead, so it shouldn't be too much longer."

Erin nodded and sighed. Not that she had a problem with driving, but this dirt road was starting to make her back hurt. She'd be happy when she could get out and stretch her legs for a while.

Sam let out a small chuckle that soon developed into a snort, causing her to raise an eyebrow. The sound of his laugh brought a smile to her face as well.

"That's the first time you laughed since my apartment. What's so funny?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Nothing. It's just the odd couple up there sounded suspiciously chummy on the phone." He scrutinized the figures in the vehicle ahead carefully.

"They were actually having a good time. Of course, I don't know what happened after Jo told Dean he was tone-deaf. It might have gotten ugly then…"

Erin leaned forward and squinted to see. "You know, if they get together it's a sign of the apocalypse."

Sam shot her an amused look. "The world as we know it would end."

"They'd have to name their kid Damien."

"Day would become night; clocks would run backwards, it would rain split-pea soup…."

"Locusts would eat the first born of the world. Beer would turn red with the blood of the innocents. And worst of all: toast would fall jelly-side up."

Sam broke out in laughter. "Toast jelly-side up? You think that's worse than baby-eating locusts?"

She shrugged innocently. "Sure. I mean, if the jelly is facing up, somebody could step in it. Have you ever had jelly between your toes? It's not fun."

That earned her a strange look from her passenger. Sam regarded her with a mixture of amusement and interest. "And when have you had jelly between your toes?"

Erin's face turned a peculiar shade of scarlet. Something told him the story behind it was rather…intimate one.

"You don't want to know."

Her answer confirmed his guess, and Sam's eyes widened in amazement. Strangely enough, he was now intrigued by the jelly story. Or rather, he was intrigued by the fact that Erin _had _a jelly story.

"O…….k. Now, I'm going to have to wonder…."

"Yeah, you do that. Because I'm not telling."

Feeling unusually confident and relaxed with Erin, he gave her a shifty look and did his best Russian accent. He held up his hands menacingly.

"Ve have vays of making vou talk."

He received an equally devious look from his counterpart.

"As long as it doesn't involve jelly."

* * *

**Author's Note: And we're back to the SamxErincentric chapters! Not much going on in this chapter, except a hunch about the hunt. And it seems that Sammy having some dirty thoughts (Dean has corrupted him!). Anyway, you guys know the drill. Thanks for so many nice reviews! Either I'm really good, or you people are really nice... Either way, A BIG THANK YOU!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh my god, that's disgusting."

Jo stood beside the parked Impala, her hand covering her mouth in an effort to stifle her gag reflex. They had finally made it to the site of the first two deaths: a small clearing in the middle of a densely wooded area.

A charred ring lined the perimeter of the clearing, and the stench of sulfur permeated the entire area. The smell had hit Jo like a ton of bricks as soon as she opened the car door, but apparently Dean was having a better time dealing with it. Currently, he was knelt down examining the scorched earth.

"I don't care about the smell. But I swear I keep hearing 'Dueling Banjos'."

Erin looked over her shoulder at her cousin from her location in the middle of the clearing. She stood, arms folded, watching Sam examine the bark of a tree situated on the outer edges of the ring of burnt underbrush.

"Why are you just standing there? You wanted to come on this hunt so badly; do something useful!" Dean called to Jo from across the clearing, his voice dripping with sarcasm and irritation. The blonde rolled her eyes and start across the dead grass towards him.

"Don't be getting an attitude with me. You're the one that told me to stay in the car 'cause I'd only get in the way."

"Yeah, and you had to get out anyway. So do something instead of standing there!"

"Just shut your trap, Dean. I'm coming!" One of these, she was going to put her boot upside his head…..

Erin watched Jo's reluctant obedience to Dean's griping in relative amusement. It really was like watching an old married couple fighting with each other. Except maybe with more cursing….

She couldn't understand why it was so hard for the two of them to admit they liked each other. Dean's feelings weren't completely transparent to her, but she knew for certain that Jo was harboring deep feelings for him.

She had grown up with Jo; she was practically her sister. No matter how tough the girl acted, she was an open book to Erin. Judging from the looks Jo threw Dean's way when he wasn't looking and the way she spoke about him when he wasn't around, Erin thought it a pretty safe bet to say that Jo was in love with the eldest Winchester.

She grimaced as the thought came across her mind. Not that Dean was a bad guy, but him and Jo together?

"It'd be like freaking Bonnie and Clyde….." She shook her head fitfully to get rid of the disturbing image.

Standing around was beginning to make her feel like an idiot. Giving a deep sigh, she shoved her hands in her pockets and strolled over to where Sam was studying the same tree very intently.

Either Sam was obviously to her approach, or whatever he had discovered was too interesting to turn away from. Erin peered around his shoulder, trying to see what had captivated his attention.

"Sam, the tree's not going anywhere. You can stop guarding it."

He looked back up from his hand to give the tree another look. Without taking his eyes away from it, he held his right hand out for Erin to inspect.

"It's sulfur. The entire base of the tree is covered with it." He finally tore his gaze away to give her a concerned look.

Perplexed, Erin touched a tiny amount of the residue in his hand and rubbed it between her fingers.

"That makes no sense. Sulfur is a sign of demonic activity. If the person who did this is one of us, why would there be sulfur here?" She was beginning to become concerned.

"That's what I mean. And look at this place." He gestured to the entire area. "There's too much ground affected to be done by one person. I couldn't do this much damage with what little telekinetic ability I have. I mean, I don't know. Could you do something like this with pyrokinesis?"

Erin shook her head. "No, I've never done something like this; not without an accelerant of some sort. I would need something highly flammable to get the blaze to spread. And look at this." She took his hand and led him over to the center of the area were she had originally been.

"When I was standing here, I noticed something. That ring of charred material? It's precise. The ring is a perfect sphere; there's no irregularity or disproportions. And whatever it was, it radiated out from here." She pointed the ground below them, the concern in her eyes intensifying.

"Sam, I don't know of anybody with this kind of power. It's a little….unsettling." She turned away to survey the ground around them. In her mind, she was desperately trying to unravel the mystery that this presented.

Sulfur was present, the sure sign of demonic activity. How could a psychic have caused this if all signs pointed to a demon? Was it actually a demon killing these people; and if so, was it the same demon they were all hunting? Could a psychic have planted the sulfur to make it look like a demonic attack? Questions raced through her thoughts; millions of possibilities for the current situation. All the while something was nagging her in the back in of her mind, something she couldn't quite recollect.

Her thought process was interrupted by Jo and Dean, who had joined them in the middle of the clearing. Both of them looked slightly puzzled, and Dean wore a grim expression. He held up his fingers for scrutiny.

"Sulfur. It's all around the outside of the damn ring."

Jo nodded in agreement and held up her hand as well. "It's everywhere: trees, grass, you name it. It's like something dusted the entire place with it."

Sam showed them the sulfur from the tree he had discovered. "The stuff on the trees is more like a resin, almost like it was melted."

Dean shrugged. "Makes sense to me. This entire place looks like it was an inferno. Whatever happened here made a hell of a fire."

Erin shook her head in objection. "This wasn't caused by a fire. I should know, I've seen plenty of shit on fire. This place looks like it was…..zapped."

"Zapped?" The older man shot her an incredulous look.

"Like when a tree is hit by lightning. Most of the time, there's no combustion but the tree still becomes scorched. That's what this looks like."

"So, you think it was a really big lightning bolt?" Dean's tone was sarcastic.

"No, but the investigators thought so at first. I'm not an idiot. This was caused by something supernatural, but I just haven't figured out what. The evidence is all conflicting." Erin folded her arms and scrutinized the ground, kicking up a patch of scorched earth with her boot.

"Well, we'll just have to keep looking. The fourth victim's house isn't far from here. Maybe there's something there that'll help us. Sam, who you riding with?"

Sam gave his brother a slightly incredulous and amused look. "I get a choice?"

Dean shrugged nonchalantly. "Take your pick, I don't care. We can leave your ass here if you want."

"Funny. I guess I'm with Erin again."

"Figures…."

Sam shot Dean a withering look as they walked towards the vehicles. Ahead of them, Erin and Jo had already gotten into their respective vehicles. Sam smirked.

"Well it seems like Jo's awfully eager to ride with you."

Dean gave his baby brother a blithe stare. "So what? She hates Erin's driving and likes my music. Unlike certain people."

"I'm sure that's the reason, Dean." Sam opened the jeep's passenger-side door and gave his brother one last amused grin.

"Just don't get any ideas, ok? We don't need you swerving all over the road because you're distracted."

Dean shut the Impala door and turned the ignition key. Putting the car into reverse, he shot Sam a Machiavellian smirk.

"Same goes for you Sammy."

"Dean, I'm not driving. So technically, the car wouldn't swerve even if I was distracted."

Dean just gave him an innocent expression.

"You said anything about **_her_** distracting **_you_**? It could be the other way around."

"Dean, shut up and go." Sam shut the door and gave a deep sigh. He would never understand the depths of his brother's perverse psyche.

Erin turned the ignition key, giving Sam a surreptitious look.

"You two do realize both of us could hear everything you just said. Perverts."

* * *

"Holy Christ." 

Jo's rather blunt statement resonated through the upper rooms of the early Victorian previously owned by the second victim. They had been there for almost an hour. The place was huge; the boys had taken the ground floor while Jo and Erin took the second story.

"What? What is it?"

Erin stuck her head around the corner of the doorway and peered into the next room. She was hoping that Jo had found something worthwhile. So far, all she had found was a box of porn and a stash of weed. Interesting peek into the victim's life, but not really helpful to a group of hunters.

A plastic crucifix appeared three inches from her face, followed by Jo's face. Erin jumped back and, stumbling over a box in the hall, promptly fell on her ass. She glared at the blonde as she crawled to her feet and rubbed her bruised backside. Jo howled with laughter.

"You are so immature. Give me that." She snatched the crucifix from her cousin and dropped it into the open box at their feet.

"Stop ass-warping around. Did you find anything in there?"

"Nope. Just Jesus." Jo kicked the box into the room and shut the door, wiping the prints from the doorknob as she did. Erin giggled despite the serious surroundings: gloomy house, darkened hallways and expansive rooms with shadows lurking in the corners.

"Hmm, at least you didn't have to go jail to find him."

"That's so wrong." Jo straightened up and grinned at her. "Come on, let's go back downstairs. There's nothing up here." She glanced around and sighed.

"We are so warped. Nothing about this is funny."

"True. Do you think they've found anything yet?" Erin led the way down the stairs, holding her flashlight under one arm as she checked the time on her watch.

"I don't know. You'd think one of them would have come and got us if they did. Of course, knowing Dean he'd just keep it to himself until I got tired of pissing around upstairs and came down to find him myself--."

"Oh shit!"

"Sammy!"

"Dean! What th---FUCK!"

The brothers' voices were followed by a deafening crash and the sound of a heavy object falling. Filled with adrenaline and concern for the men, both girls rushed down the hall to their aid.

However they were met by the site of Sam situated awkwardly in a heap on the basement steps, and Dean doubled over in hysteria. Jo whacked the older Winchester on the back of his head as Erin bent down to see Sam's face more clearly. He grinned sheepishly.

"What in the hell?"

She offered her hand to him, pulling back to his and out of the stairwell. Sam brushed the dirt of his shirt and clawed at the stray cobwebs in his hair. Erin removed the offending web, if only to get his full attention.

"Sam, what was all that about? I thought you guys got attacked or something."

Sam laughed nervously. "It was nothing."

Behind them, a dull thunking sound resounded. Jo yanked Dean's collar and forced him to stand up. His face was red; he had laughed so hard he cried. Now, he was only making a faint rattling noise as he continued to find hilarity at what had transpired.

Jo whopped him in the chest.

"Knock it off, Wheezy and tell us what happened or so help me God--..."

"A bat. It was a bat."

Dean managed to speak at last, wiping the tears out of his eyes. Sam gave him a look that was tinged with faux betrayal.

"We opened the door and a bat flew out. Sammy, you screamed like a girl." The scene replayed itself in his mind, giving him another fit of giggles.

"He fell on his ass….and rolled down the stairs." The last remark was almost inaudible, due to Dean's recurring laughter. Sam rolled his eyes wearily.

"It wasn't that funny, Dean."

Dean gave his brother the most somber stare he could muster at the moment.

"Dude, you've never seen yourself take a flying leap down a flight of stairs, have you? It's like watching the Jolly Green Giant trip."

Jo smacked him in the gut again. "Stop making fun of Sam, you moron. You're the one giggling like preteen at a Hillary Duff concert."

"I am offended." He gave the blonde a conceited look and swatted her hand away from his collar. "What are you two doing down here anyway?"

"We didn't find anything upstairs. Any luck down here?" Erin turned to Sam and brushed yet another cobweb out of his hair.

Sam nodded in thanks and for an answer. "We found some sulfur by the door, but nothing else yet. We're checking the basement." He glanced from Erin to Jo and back.

"Why don't you guys wait up for us? It won't be long."

"Oh no, don't you get all macho on me too. It's bad enough with Damsel-in-Distress Dean over there." Erin poked Sam in the chest to make her point. "I'm going down there. So, get over it."

"Hey!" Dean apparently had a problem with his nickname; Jo snickered.

Sam held up in hands in surrender. "Ok, I'll shut up. You can go. But, I'm going first in the stupid stairs decide to give way." He snatched the flashlight from her and turned back to the basement door.

"Fine. But why do you need _my_ flashlight?"

"Because I dropped mine and it rolled down the stairs."

"I suppose that is a good reason for stealing my light."

"I _commandeered_ it. There's a difference."

"The only difference is you're using a big word, Sam."

"Would you two put a sock in it?" Jo thumped her cousin on the shoulder. "We're supposed to be working here."

Erin turned to answer, only to be interrupted by suddenly slamming into the solid mass of Sam's back. Due to Sam's height, her view was completely blocked. Unable to move around him, she resorted to prodding him in the shoulder blade.

"Sam? What is it?" She struggled past him on the stairs, finally let through when he stepped aside. Giving him a peculiar look, she sighed and turned back around. He grabbed her arm to prevent her from going any further. When she tried to protest, he just turned her around to face the room.

The basement contained the usual assortment of things: old furniture, boxes, unidentifiable patterns from the sixties, dressmakers dummy. However, the odd thing was the fact that everything in the basement was pushed and stacked into one corner of the room. It was almost as if whoever did it wanted the largest amount of floor space they could get. Erin soon realized why.

In the middle of the basement floor was the biggest Key of Solomon trap Erin had ever seen.

It took her a moment to recognize the symbols. It was even larger than the one on Bobby Singer's ceiling. The edges stretched nearly to the walls of the basement; a path about three feet wide stood between it and the walls. Erin stared at in awe, joined soon by Dean and Jo. Beside her, Dean let out a low whistle.

"That's a lot of chalk."

Jo didn't even respond to his remark, too busying taking in the scene in front of her. Erin shuddered in sudden realization.

"Sam, do you see that?" She pointed to the center of the circle. Her hand was shaking in fear and horror, as was her voice. Beside her, Sam nodded grimly.

"It's why I stopped. It's why I stopped you too."

The middle of the circle contained a massive scorch mark. Even the chalk in the area had been vaporized. It was in the same precise ring as the burnt vegetation at the first site. Erin swallowed, hard.

"Sam, if whatever it was that killed these people was able to get out of there, then…"

"It's not a demon; it's human."

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally, we're getting some work done! And despite the serious material, the humor just wouldn't go away. I can't be serious for more than a paragraph! I think there's something wrong here. Besides the fact that I pushed poor Sammy down the stairs, of course...**

**P.S: I couldn't remember for the life of me the name of the trap diagram on Bobby Singer's ceiling. I apologize, but you people know what I'm talking about! And I know I thank you guys in every other author's note; but just to be evil and wicked, tonight I'm singling people out.**

**A BIG BIG BIG CRAZY THANKS to _zeusfluff , WinchestersGirl _&_ Sam666 _for leaving reviews for nearly every one of my chapters. You guys are so nice to me, I'm gonna cry! Sadly, you win no prizes for that. But if you keep reviewing, I'll keep writing! (And trying not to suck at it.) And to all my other readers, I still love you guys! **


	13. Chapter 13

Sam set two cups of steaming coffee down on the table and sighed. On one of the two twin beds in the room, Erin sat surrounded by newspapers and autopsy reports.

After leaving the fourth victim's house, they had managed to break into the medical examiners office and swipe the files pertaining to victims 1-6. Now they were back at the motel, poring over the documents in an effort to find something that might help.

Sam had ended up with Erin in the room she and Jo shared due to the fact that Jo and Dean had completely taken over the brothers' room in order to clean weapons. Besides that, Sam figured he'd get more work done if he worked with her. But so far, they hadn't discovered anything that they didn't already know.

He snuck a glance at Erin, who was looking at the file she held in her hand with an unfocused stare. She had been abnormally quiet on the way back to the motel, and Sam suspected that something about the case was bothering her. He had refrained from asking her, however, until they got back. Now, he was beginning to worry.

"I got the coffee." He held out one of the cups to her in an effort to start a conversation. Erin, however, just continued to stare at the paperwork in her hand. Now Sam was sure she was preoccupied. He snapped his fingers.

"Hey. Erin!"

The sound broke her out of her trance, and she looked up. Confused at first by the sight of the coffee cup, she finally focused on his face.

"Sam? I'm sorry; I zoned out." She took the cup from him and gave him a grateful smile. Relieved that she wasn't completely spaced out, he took a seat on the other bed. He took a deep breath.

"What's the matter? You've been quiet ever since the M.E's office. Is it something about the case?"

She took a sip of the coffee and swallowed. Pursing her lips in deep thought, she continued to stare forward instead of facing him. The cold demeanor that had been present when he first met her had returned. Whatever it was that was bothering her, it was on a personal level. Sam was beginning to think he shouldn't have asked her.

"I know who's doing this. Who's…who's killing these people."

Whatever Sam had expected her to say, that definitely wasn't it. He could only be shocked at the announcement.

"What? How could you--."

Erin cut him off by handing him one of the many folders scattered across the bedspread. Still reeling in confusion, he took the file obligingly and opened it. To his surprise, it wasn't one of the M.E's files but rather one of Erin's. He raised his head from it to give her a baffled look.

"Erin? Who is this guy?"

"His name is Markus Kent. He's 17 years old; adopted. My sister met him at school. He disappeared six months ago; no one knows where he went." She looked over at the folder with withering disgust in her eyes.

"I say nobody. I know where he is. He's with the demon."

Sam returned his gaze to the folder. The young man in the photo was an unsettling character. His appearance was greasy, unclean. The look in his eyes reminded Sam of an animal with rabies. He shuddered.

"He's….one of us?"

"Yes. Like I said, he disappeared out of the blue." She sighed and her expression seemed to soften.

"I didn't want to tell my sister when it happened. She was close to Markus, if only because he was the only one like her. But Markus….I knew he was dark when I met him. He had this greasy, shifty look to him. I knew he was going to end up hurting Kelsey or someone else. A few months before he disappeared, they found his adopted mother's body in their basement."

She locked eyes with him, her expression grim.

"His mother's file said that she had been electrocuted by faulty wiring. She was cooked from the inside out. My sister was worried that the demon had done it, but I knew it was really Markus. After that…he just vanished."

She took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "I think Markus is the one killing these people."

Sam could only stare at her in surprise. Erin stared back at him blithely, but deep in her eyes the hint of uncertainty flickered. For some reason, he got the suspicion there was something else to the story. But whatever it was, he couldn't guess. Instead, he turned back to the situation at hand.

"Now what?" He closed the file and handed it back to her. She took it and shrugged.

"We have to find out Markus's motive. Why he's the people he's killing. We might be able to establish a pattern out of that."

Sam thought about it for a moment. "The fourth victim's house had the Devil's Trap in the basement. Markus might be killing off the hunters in the area."

She shook her head in disagreement and pointed to one of the open files on the bed. "The fifth victim was a 72 year-old grandmother. So unless she was Super-Granny, I don't think that being hunters is a common tie."

Sam laughed quietly, although his laughter died quickly. "Ok, so it's not because they're hunters. Maybe he's just killing randomly. Demons have a habit of doing that, why not a human killer?"

Erin was poring over the files again, oblivious to his question. Her ability to completely tune him out in the middle of a conversation was astounding. Sighing in resignation, Sam got up to retrieve his coffee cup and a chair from the table. Dragging the chair over to the bed, he sat down and pulled the newspapers towards him. If he wasn't going to get anything else out of Erin, he might as well do some work.

* * *

"Dean, are you going to clean that gun or glare at me all night?"

Jo laid the shotgun on her thighs and, leaning forward, met the older Winchester's stare defiantly. She smirked.

"You're not that intimidating."

Dean placed the pistol beside him on the bed and sighed. They had been in the same room for over two hours together. Jo was right in the fact that he hadn't taken his eyes off of her once in that entire time. Except he hadn't been glaring at all.

He had given her a hard time at the Roadhouse about this hunt. The fight they had, Jo's insistence to come along despite his reluctance; both of had stuck in his mind ever since it had happened. Then, he lied to her face and tried to double-cross her again on a case by leaving early.

And damn it, she did the exact same thing. It was like looking in a mirror; every time he looked at her face he could see himself staring back at him. Despite what he felt, he couldn't hate her for wanting to hunt. After all, her reasons for wanting this like weren't so different from his own anymore.

In the beginning, it was simple. He hunted because that's what his father did. Maybe it was that little boy thing about wanting to be just like Dad. Then, later he hunted for Sammy; to keep his brother safe, he'd killed anything that came his way. Now Sam could protect himself, and their father was dead. What other reasons were there to hunt?

For revenge, and for his father's memory. He understood Jo's reasons perfectly, because they the same as his. He felt close to John when he hunted, and he wanted to kill the thing that took him away. So, why was he so set against Jo's help on this case?

"_Because I care about you, damnit!"_

He couldn't stop thinking about that either. The look on her face when he said it kept haunting him. It surprised him just as much; had he really meant it the way it sounded? He'd never admit it out loud, but he was starting to suspect that he did mean it. Crap.

"Dean?"

He looked over to her at the sound of her voice. She was giving a strange look; had he zoned out? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"What? I was thinking."

"Is that what you call it? I thought I smelled smoke." She sat the shotgun aside and sighed.

"Something wrong? You're doing that broody loner thing again." The lighthearted joke fell on deaf ears; Dean was once again staring at the wall blankly.

"_You don't own me, Dean! You can't tell me what I can or can't do!"_

"_Because I care about you, damnit!"_

"Dean!" She shoved him hard in the shoulder in an effort to get his attention. He looked at her again; his eyes were tainted with the hint of distraction. She sighed.

"Dean, stop with the ADD and tell me what's wrong. You've been quiet all night and it's making me nervous."

"It's nothing."

He stood up and turned away from her. Maybe it was being so close to her, but he couldn't keep his mind of Jo to save his life. The fight kept coming back to mind, as well as other memories of her. The first time they met at the Roadhouse; the Holmes case; the moment she told him about their fathers.

It was irritating and comforting at the same time. Her smile, the way she could shut him down with one smartass remark. The way she laughed, and the way she could get so frustrated at him that she cried.

The reason for his anger at her decisions was clear. Of course, he'd never tell anybody the truth of the matter. Especially not Jo.

His thoughts were interrupted by the pain of his pinky being bent backwards. He snatched his hand away in surprise.

"God damn it, what the hell was that about Jo?!" He nursed his hand and glared angrily at the blonde.

She waved a hand dismissively. "It didn't hurt that bad, you baby. And it was the only way I could get you to answer me that time. Now, tell me what's the matter or I'm going to shoot you in the foot."

"Bull--." He was cut off by the sound of a bullet sliding under the hammer. The handgun was indeed pointed at his right foot. He shot her an indifferent look.

"I knew you were psychotic."

"No, just annoyed. Now, start talking Deano."

"Don't call me that, Joanna."

She gave him a bored look. "Believe me; Joanna does not annoy me nearly as much as Deano annoys you."

"You do realize this is the second time is this loving relationship that you've pointed a gun at me."

"Oh, we have a relationship now?" She raised an eyebrow as if to appear interested.

Dean opened his mouth to respond, only to be at a loss for words. Instead, he snatched the pistol from her and emptied the chamber.

"That was making me nervous."

She crossed her legs and folded her arms, glaring at him obstinately. "I don't think you're nervous because of the gun, Dean."

"Yeah, well you've never won any awards for thinking." He stuffed the stray bullets in his pocket and turned to the lay the gun on the table.

"Listen; don't take this the wrong way. But the first time we get in a tight spot out there, I want you and your cousin gone."

"Not that again! Dean, I'm here to stay. Get over it." She stood behind him and folded her arms.

"I'm not going anywhere."

He swung around on her unexpectedly.

"Listen to me carefully. Even if it takes me tying you to the freaking jeep and making Erin drive home with you on the roof, I'm not going to let you get hurt out here just because I didn't have time to baby sit you."

She met his glare defiantly, her anger building. Not this time; he wasn't going to make her back down this time. She stood up to him at the Roadhouse, and she'd do the same here.

"I don't need you to baby sit me. You wouldn't be that good at it anyway. My mother may think I need you to look out for me, but I don't. So don't think you're doing her any favors by offering to watch me."

"This doesn't have a damn thing to do with your mom."

"Oh really? Why don't you tell me what it does have to do with, then? Tell me why you can't accept the fact that I want to hunt. Tell me why you can't leave me alone about it. Tell me why you keep trying to protect me!"

She took a deep breath in an effort to maintain her anger.

"I know why you do it, Dean. You said it yourself at the Roadhouse that night, even though you didn't mean for it to slip out. But I heard it, and I know what you meant by it. So don't give me that bullshit about 'you're a friend'. We both know it's not true."

He remained silent, his eyes locked on hers. Underneath the rage, his eyes held the faint glow of something else.

"I don't care that you worry about me. That's not what bothers me. But you need to realize the real reason why you worry about me and stop feeding me these bull excuses about my mo--."

Her ranting was abruptly cut off by Dean's lips pressed against hers. Shocked, she could only stand there, her left hand grasping the front of his shirt. The room seemed to spin in slow-motion as she responded to the sudden affection.

It only took a moment before Dean wrenched himself away from her. Caught off-guard, Jo stumbled and sat down to steady herself. Her legs felt like jelly, and her face was burning. He was turned away from her; whether it was from shame or embarrassment she couldn't tell. She swallowed hard, and took a breath.

"D-Dean?"

Slowly, he turned and caught her eye, his hand over his mouth in a state of shock. In the back of her mind, Jo noticed that his face was as red as hers felt. He looked slightly guilty, like a child that had been caught stealing cookies. She could only stare at him in shock.

"Jo…"

"I'm gonna go."

She stood and abruptly left the room, shutting the door behind her. It seemed childish to run away from that moment, but she couldn't look at him. It was awkward, not to mention she kept having the urge to throw herself at him.

Who knew Dean Winchester could kiss a girl like that.

Back in the room, Dean stood in the middle of the floor alone. He thought about going after her, catching and repeating what just happened. He thought about the ensuing awkwardness of this moment. He thought of how she could be feeling at this very moment. But nothing he thought of could compel him to do anything more than stare at the door in dulled shock.

"Shit."

* * *

**Author's Note: It seems spacing out in the middle of conversations ran rampant in this chapter, although for slightly different reasons. Dean & Jo fans of the world, UNITE! Just when you thought things couldn't get any more awkward or hostile between the two...**


	14. Chapter 14

"I need caffeine….."

Erin was slumped over the hood of the jeep, whining. Currently, the jeep and Impala were parked at the gas pumps of a convenience store en route to the fifth victim's apartment. It was 6:00 in the freaking morning, and Dean decided it was time to go. She barely had time to grab a cup of that dirty brown water the motel called coffee. And everyone knew it was dangerous to deprive Erin of her caffeine.

She lifted her head and glared at the man at the gas pump. It was his fault she was dragging ass today, and therefore he should suffer an unfathomable punishment. Now, if she could only muster enough energy to think of said unfathomable punishment….

"Erin? Are you going to go pay for the gas?" Jo prodded her cousin in the arm. Many people probably thought Erin's lack of energy was strange, but Jo was used to it. Who knew? Maybe she had low blood pressure or something. Jo liked to think that Erin drank so much coffee in high school that she became a caffeine junkie.

The brunette turned to give her cousin a scrutinizing look. Jo was no longer looking at Erin, but rather the Impala. Following Jo's gaze, she saw that Dean was sitting back in the car, apparently having sent Sam in to pay.

She didn't know what had transpired the previous night, but she had a good idea. Around 9:00 Jo had stormed into their hotel room and kicked Sam out, claiming she was exhausted. Her face was flushed, and she had a distracted look. As hard as she tried, Erin couldn't get anything out of her. Instead, Jo just insisted she was tired and went to bed.

Erin pulled a couple of fifties out of her wallet and handed to them to Jo. Seeing her cousin's perplexed expression, she gestured to the money with a serious look.

"You go pay for the gas with Sam. I'm too tired to walk that far. Buy us some food too. And coffee. Lots of coffee; biggest cup they have." She made a shooing motion.

Jo shrugged and ran to catch up with Sam, throwing one last look on Dean's direction. As soon as her cousin was inside the store, Erin rushed over to the Impala and slid in the passenger side. Dean whipped around to give her a surprised look. She cut off his questions with her hand.

"Look Winchester, I know what happened between you and Jo last night." She pointed at him accusingly.

Dean sighed and faced forward.

"Well, girls talk at slumber parties. I'm not surprised."

"Don't play aloof with me, you moron. Listen, I could care less if you date Jo. I don't care if you want to swap spit with her or not. Frankly, I think she needs to get laid. But that's beside the point." She gripped his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

"I don't know you that well, and I definitely can't read you as well as your brother. But I do know my cousin, and I can tell you with certainty that Jo's feelings for you are way deeper than some stupid little schoolgirl crush. I suspect you feel the same about her, even if you won't admit it. But you better listen up. If you use her feelings against her, or do anything else that might hurt that girl, I will _kill_ you. Ellen just being a mom when she says that; I'm being a vengeful bitch. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good." She left go of his arm and turned to get out of the car. As Dean breathed a sigh of relief, she suddenly spun back to face him.

"Oh, and Dean? Jo didn't say a word to me; I figured it out of my own. And she tells me everything, which should give you a clue as to how much she cares about you. Just try to keep that in mind, ok?" She patted his cheek sweetly and slid out of the Impala, slamming the door behind her.

Dean gripped the steering wheel and stared out the windshield.

"I just…got another death-threat from another chick. Damn it!"

* * *

"Hand me some of those."

Sam tossed the bag of chips over to Jo and laughed when they nailed her in the head. She gave him a mock glare.

"Haha, smartass. You not supposed to hit girls, you know."

He chuckled and went back to perusing the candy bars. Jo's behavior last night had worried him, but she seemed to be back to her usual self. Unlike his brother, who had been moody and unresponsive ever since last night. Well, moodier than usual.

Instead of asking about the previous night, Sam decided to breach an easier topic. He eased over to stand beside Jo so that his voice wouldn't carry. Normally, he wouldn't care; but this was a conversation other people really didn't need to hear.

"Hey Jo. Did Erin tell you about her theory on the killer?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, she thinks its Markus." She gave Sam a curious look.

"She told you about him?"

"Yeah. She said he was one of her sister's friends at one time. She also mentioned what he did to his mother." His expression turned grim at the thought.

Jo expression turned from curiosity to surprise. "She told you about Kelsey too?"

He gave her a strange look. Was Erin talking about her personal life really that odd? Ok, so maybe they had only known each other a few days. But still, why was Jo giving him such strange looks?

"She talked about her while we were at her apartment. I saw Kelsey's file, so Erin told me all about her. You know: that she's adopted, that she went to private school, she's telekinetic." He grinned.

"She fits the older sister role well. You could tell she's proud of her sister, even if she does worry about her abilities."

Jo nodded in agreement, smiling sadly. "Yeah, she does. It reminds me of the way Dean cares about you; they have a lot in common in that. And Erin loves Kelsey to death. They were so close when they were younger, way closer than Erin and me."

The smile disappeared from her face suddenly, as if she suddenly recalled something depressing.

"Poor Erin; It nearly killed her when Kelsey disappeared."

Sam's shock was apparent in his face. All that time Erin talked about her little sister; not once did she give the impression that she was gone.

"What?"

She gave him yet another look of surprise. "Erin didn't tell you? Yeah, Kelsey went missing about six months ago. It's pretty strange that she didn't mention it, considering the fact that she was the first one to suspect Kelsey left with Markus." She turned to face him.

"Erin didn't mention any of this to you?"

Sam glanced away, preoccupied. Despite his wish to think otherwise, he was beginning to see why Erin had failed to mention this. It probably hurt her just to think about it; the same way it hurt Dean to think about Sam's destiny. If Kelsey was with Markus, then…

"No. She didn't say anything."

He forced the suspicions from his mind and put one a slightly brighter face. "Come on, let's go. Your cousin's probably passed out from caffeine deprivation by now."

"Ah, you know her well." Jo laughed and followed him to the register. In the back of her mind, she was beginning to wonder if telling Sam was such a good idea…

* * *

"How did you convince Jo to ride with Dean? And likewise, how did I convince you to drive?" Erin finished her coffee and smiled. She had caffeine, and it seemed to improve her mood.

Sam kept his eyes on the road, his expression serious. "I just thought they had issues to work out."

"You're right about that. Those two…I feel a Jerry Springer episode coming on just thinking about it." She snickered.

Sam's expression remained unchanged as he turned left behind his brother. What Jo had revealed to him in the store had been nagging at him ever since, but he just couldn't bring himself to ask Erin about it. What if his suspicions were wrong? If so, then bringing up Kelsey's disappearance would only hurt her.

Erin noticed Sam's silence and sat up, concerned. She knew that Sam was a quiet individual, but something was bothering him. Maybe it had something to do with their psychic encounter, but she was beginning to realize that she could senses even the most subtle changes in Sam's demeanor.

"What's the matter?"

"Why didn't you mention your sister's disappearance?"

The change in her countenance was immediate. She shifted in her seat and turned away from him. The chill was back, as was the tension in her figure. She swallowed.

"It's got nothing to do with you, or this. So why bother bringing it up?"

"Because you think that she's with Markus."

A silence pause ensued. Erin's face was obscured from his view, but he could feel the anger and sorrow emanating from her. He felt a pain at causing her so much grief, but he needed answers. She continued to keep her silence.

"Is that why you're hoping its Markus doing this? Because your sister might be with him?"

"Don't jump to conclusions about shit you know nothing about, Sam." Erin dug her nails into her thighs in fury.

"Erin, I'm sorry. I know you must miss her. But Kelsey….if she's with Markus then it might be possible the demon has turned her--…"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?!" It wasn't the rage in her voice that surprised him, but the grief. This was literally tearing her apart.

"I know that's the most likely situation, Sam. I don't need to be reminded of it."

"There's still a chance that she can be saved, Erin."

Sam spoke to her softly, attempting to soothe the pain he had caused. As they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, he turned to look at her.

"I'm just worried about what happens if it's true. What are you going to do if he has turned her?" He pulled into a parking space beside Dean and shut the engine off.

She was silent; her feelings were a mystery to him. Her head bowed, her face obscured, she sat unmoving. Sam was actually afraid; what was she thinking? He couldn't even speak, for fear of her retaliation.

Finally, after an eternity, she raised her head. The cold, unfeeling hardness she had possessed during their first meeting was back again. She turned to look him in the face, granting him an apathetic stare.

"I'll kill her."

Without another word, she left him sitting alone in the jeep in silence. Somehow, he didn't doubt her.

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated twice in one day! A short chapter, but I thought it was a good place to end it. Erin's threatening to kill everybody, isn't she? I swear, that girl has more dysfunction than my family reunion...**


	15. Chapter 15

Jo stood and stretched her aching back. Something poked her in the hip, causing her to put her hand to her pocket. She remembered that Dean had given her the Impala keys to hold due to the fact that they kept falling out of his pockets. Yet another thing of his that annoyed her…

They had been in this stupid apartment for two freaking hours already, and the only thing they had found was a giant ring of soot in the middle of the living room floor. Interesting the first two times she saw it, not so much now.

She threw a glance at her partner across the room. Dean was in the process of wiping down the bookcase for traces of sulfur; she had just finished the same thing with the fireplace. The "thing" from last night had screwed everything up between them. Before that, she had no problem being alone with Dean, except for the threat of verbal warfare. Now, she had a problem talking to him; just catching his eye was awkward.

"I'm done over here." Not the wittiest thing she had ever said, but at least it got his attention.

He finished wiping the last shelf and sighed. "That should be everything in this room. As usual, there's sulfur every freaking where. Now, we got to do the kitchen." He glanced at the corner kitchenette.

"Fun." He dug around in his pocket for another set of latex gloves and started across the room. It didn't slip by past her that he never once made eye contact with her. Easy way to fix that…

She rushed across the room and planted herself in front of him. Like it or not, this situation was getting cleared up. It was awkward; she hated awkward. Not to mention it was bugging her death. She hadn't even been able to look at him in the Impala on the way over. _That _was uncomfortable.

"Dean, we need to talk."

He gave her a blatant stare. "You want to talk now? We're in the middle of a murder scene."

"I don't care really, and you don't either so don't pull that shit on me." She folded her arms and returned his stare.

Great, she was going to a pain in the ass again. He sighed in resignation; the only way to get away from this was to make her happy and talk about it. Damn it.

"Fine. What do you talk to about?"

"Stop ass-warping around. You know what."

"Nope; nothing comes to mind."

"I'm talking about last night! You know, when you mauled me in your hotel room!"

He adopted an offended look. "Jeez, you make me sound like a sleazy hustler."

"You might as well be. What, you think you can just grab me like that and then act like nothing happened?"

"I was trying to, but you're making it very hard."

"This isn't something you can ignore! You can't just go around forcing yourself on people!"

"You weren't complaining, honey! As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember your tongue responding! I didn't force you to enjoy it!"

"Dean, we're not discussing my involvement in it! The fact is you started it!"

"Well tell me what exactly you're pissed off about: that fact that I kissed you, or the fact that you enjoyed it. 'Cause I'm getting confused!"

"Both, damn it!" She stormed off in huff, slamming the apartment do behind her. Dean stared at the door, satisfied that he had shut her up for once. That is, until he recalled that she had his keys.

"Aw, damn it."

He picked up the weapons bag and dashed out the door. Jo seemed like the type of woman that would relish taking a key to car paint.

* * *

She peeked around the bedroom doorframe as the door slammed for the second time. Dean and Jo's argument had only confirmed her suspicions about the previous night. However, she had issues of her own to deal with.

Sam finishing stuffing everything back into the bag and stood up. Due to Dean and Jo's issues, he had paired up with Erin to investigate this time. Not to mention his concern for her. She had looked uneasy and distant ever since the fight in the jeep. He knew it was his fault for bringing Kelsey up, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk to her about it.

"I guess we're leaving." Erin shrugged her pack from the jeep on and headed out the door. Sam followed, unsure of what else to do. What was he going to say? I'm sorry for suggesting that your sister's evil? Not a great line.

The silence between them continued until they reached the parking lot. There, he was unsurprised to see Jo fuming in the passenger side of the jeep. Not that he blamed her, after what had just happened. He turned to speak to Erin, only to find her giving him a blank look.

"Guess you're to square one on transportation." With no further conversation, she left him standing there.

He stared after her for a minute before trudging over to the Impala, where Dean was waiting. Sliding into the passenger side, he stared at the glove department despondently.

"I think she hates me now."

"My feelings exactly." Dean fired up the engine and roared out of the parking lot, the jeep in close pursuit. He glared at the pursuing vehicle in the mirror.

"I have a feeling this is what marriage like…"

* * *

"Men are asses." Jo threw another paper ball at the wall, missing the trash can entirely. It was after dark already. They had returned to the hotel around 8:00 a.m, and Dean had insisted that the girls stay. For once, Jo was all too happy to oblige.

"He's just so….so…oooooohhh, he pisses me off!" She rolled over on the bed and threw her cousin a disdainful stare.

"You don't have anything to say about Sam?"

Erin glared at her over her sunglasses, which had been attached to her face ever since their trip to the hotel pool earlier.

"Nope. I'd rather not raise my blood pressure."

"You really should let the rage out. Then maybe you wouldn't blowup at unsuspecting people."

The brunette sat up, death threat written all over her expression.

"Are you suggesting that Sam didn't deserve what he got?"

Jo shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying that you could have handled it better."

"Yeah, and you could have had a wild night of kinky sex with Dean, but ya didn't."

"You're sick."

"And you're a prude." Erin threw an empty water bottle at her cousin, laughing. Her amusement was interrupted by an insistent knocking at the door. Hopping off the bed, she answered it.

"What is it?" She gave Sam the blankest stare she could muster. Most likely, he wanted to talk about earlier. Of course, her mood depended on what he had to say.

To her surprise, he pushed past her and into the room. Marching over to Jo, he pulled her up out of her chair and drug her across the room to the door. Leading her outside, he ventured back into the room and spun around to face her.

"Go talk to my brother before I have to shoot both of you. He's driving me insane!" With that, he slammed the door in her face and sighed with relief. A tap from behind caused him to turn around.

Erin regarded him with a mixture of anger and amusement. "So, you'd rather be in a room with a woman that is pissed at you than your brother?"

He gave her a completely innocent expression.

"There's a chance that you'll finish with what you have to say eventually. Dean can go all night."

"And you're sure it's safe to leave them together?"

"Don't care anymore." His expression softened.

"You're not going to kick me out, are you? Because I really don't want to sleep in the hall."

"You think Jo's going to be in there long enough for you to sleep here?"

"Who knows? I'm not taking any chances on walking in on something I really shouldn't see." He shuddered.

She studied him for a minute.

"Fine, stay if you want. I'm not going to stop you." She threw him one last withering glare.

"I'm going to take a shower. If I so much as think I hear the doorknob, you're a dead man."

"Not going to happen." He sat down on the bed and grabbed the remote. Something told him this was going to be a loooooong night.

* * *

Sam was a dead man, alright.

Jo glared defiantly at the door of the brothers' room. She had been standing out in the hall for the past 15 minutes, trying to decide what to do. There were two options: go in and face Dean, or go back and kick Sam's ass out of her room. And of course, there was the ever popular 'sleep in the hall' option. She wasn't too fond of that last one.

The sudden opening of the door surprised her. Dean gave her an unconcerned look; it was almost as if he knew she was out there.

"Get inside already. I'm tired of watching you pace outside my door." He stepped out of the way to let her in.

She complied, sliding past him into the hotel room. Hearing the door shut behind her, she turned to face him.

"Look, it wasn't my idea to come here. Your brother threw me out of my room and locked my out. He said you wouldn't shut up."

Dean moved past her to take a seat on the bed. He wore a slightly amused look.

"Sammy threw you out? I didn't think he had it in him." He shrugged indifferently.

"Ok, you're here now. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything. Like I said, didn't choose to come here." She flopped down on the other bed and glared at him.

"Come on, you must want something."

She swallowed. Damn it, the way he said that wasn't helping the situation. She couldn't keep her mind from wandering to other things. It was all she could do to look at him indifferently.

"Dean, why would I want something from you?"

"Because you're a woman. That's what you guys do."

"Sexist."

"I'm not being sexist. I'm telling the truth."

"You're being chauvinistic again."

He sat forward on the bed, challenging her haughty attitude. "Is that you favorite word to describe me? Or is it the only big insult word you know?"

She stood her ground. "No, it's just the biggest one you can understand. My best word to describe you would be misogynistic. But you have no idea what it means."

"I don't hate women. Just you."

"You've got a funny way of showing it." She took a deep breath to calm herself. Not that it was going to help around him.

"Can we just discuss this like adults? If you can manage that."

"What's there to discuss? I kissed you, you kissed back, and if I hadn't stopped it would've gone farther." He shrugged. "End of story for me."

Her expression became one of amusement and sarcasm.

"What makes you think it would have gone farther?"

"Uh…cause you want me?" He made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

"_I_ want _you_? You were the one grabbing me like I was the last bag of M&Ms at the quickie-mart."

"And we're back to the blame game. I'll say this slowly: it doesn't matter if I started it, you enjoyed. Admit it, and we can move on."

"Fine, I enjoyed it! Happy now?!"

"Damn right. Besides, technically you started all of this. You were the one seducing me in your mom's bar."

"Oh please! You assaulted me half-naked on the porch, you freak!" She stood up, in anger.

"Just admit you have feelings for me so we can get over this!"

"Don't see the point in it."

It was all she could do to refraining from strangling him. Not only was he being deliberately stupid, he was messing with her head again. Why did he have to be so damn cocky all the freaky time? Was it too much to ask for a simple, serious answer to his question? And the hell was he staring at her like that? He was angry, she could tell. But that look was back; the glint of something else that had been there earlier. The hint of something she saw right before he kissed her. It would be unsettling if she wasn't so enraged at him.

"And why the hell not?"

He leaned forward until their noses were touching, giving her the deadliest look he could get. It reminded her of the look he had when he cornered her on the front porch. Only he wasn't smirking this time, and for some reason that made her heart beat even faster.

"Because you already know."

She held her breath, unsure of what to do next. He was so close her that his nose was touching her cheek. Despite the vague response, she could see the answer in his eyes. The only problem was how to proceed.

She what she wanted; it was the same thing she wanted the first time he walked in the door of the Roadhouse. He wanted it too; she could see it as she kept her eyes locked on his. But the fear was holding her back; the fear of giving in to something that could possibly hurt her later on. She had to make a choice, and that choice wasn't guaranteed to be the right one. So, what was it going to be? She took a breath, finally.

Still unsure of the overcome of her actions, she stepped away from him. Although there was some space between them now, she never broke her eye contact with. Her heart pounding with anticipation and fear, she exhaled.

"I'm going to need to a little more than that, Dean."

One sentence was all it took. Almost before his name passed over her lips, he was kissing her all over again. Actually feeling relieved, Jo gripped his shirt sleeve with her left hand and slid her other arm around his neck. Unlike last time, she responded eagerly to his affections.

Dean slid one hand up her neck to cradle her head while the other began a slow progression up her side, underneath her shirt. Her skin was warm to the touch, almost as if she had a full-body blush. It was making him sweat just by touching her.

Out of the blue, Jo pushed him away her. His mounting disappointment was quickly dispersed by his jacket being pulled off and tossed to the side. Before he could talk, she had pulled him back to her and silenced anything he had to say with her lips.

He tore his lips away from hers to begin an assault on her neck. His hands slid up her waist to the underside of her bra. In one deft move, he pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it away. Returning to his endeavor, he began to slide the straps of her bra off her shoulders.

His tongue stroked the hollow in her throat, drawing a gasp from her. She managed to undo his belt and slide it off before Dean got impatient. Grabbing her butt, he hoisted her up. With missing a beat, she wrapped her legs around his waist and slid her hand down his shirt collar. His skin was hot to the touch, and sweat was beginning to run down his back.

As they fell back onto the bed and Dean began a slow movement from her lips to her navel, Jo realized she no longer cared which was the right choice.

* * *

**Author's Note: Three chapters in one day, go me! Mostly a DeanxJocentric chapter here. Our favorite dysfunctional couple finally get hot and heavy WOOT! (Ok, not that hot and heavy. I didn't exactly detail the whole experience.) Maybe now they'll calm down...**

**P.S. I always have trouble writing 'hot & heavy' scenes, so could you guys please tell me how I did? Thank you so much!**


	16. Chapter 16

"Erin?"

Sam sat up on the other twin bed give his roommate a concerned look. She had been deathly quiet this morning, only offering a frosty 'morning' when he woke up.

The real reason he had come to her room last night was to apologize for their fight earlier. Although he was right to be angry about the fact that she kept Kelsey's disappearance from him, he was aware that he shouldn't have brought it up the way he did.

Unfortunately, he was so tired that he had passed out from exhaustion soon after Erin went to shower. The next thing he knew it was 7:00 a.m. and she was already awake. Although, as he got a closer look at her face, he was starting to suspect that she had never gone to sleep.

She switched off the television, but continued to stare at the blank screen rather than look at him.

"What is it, Sam?"

Her voice was flat and seemingly disinterested. Was she still angry at earlier? She acted like it, but Sam wasn't so sure the anger was directed at him. Still, he tried to proceed delicately.

"About yesterday…I'm sorry for bringing up the situation with your sister. It wasn't any of my business, really." He stopped and waited patiently for her response.

After a few moments of silence she sighed, weary.

"Sam, it's all right. I know you only brought it up because you were…worried. If it were me, I'd be suspicious if someone had kept something like that from me."

She stared at her hands and paused.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you; you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

He smiled, relieved that she wasn't angry anymore.

"No, I understand. It's…a touchy subject you for. It is your little sister, after all. Besides, I probably could have gone about it better."

She gave a faint laugh. "Jo said the same thing about me: that I could have handled it better." Her expression turned serious.

"But you were right, Sam. I…I was hoping that Markus was behind this because I wanted Kelsey to be with him. At first, it was just wishful thinking. But now I'm almost certain that he is the one murdering these people. Whether Kelsey is with him is another story."

She swung her legs off the bed and focused her gaze on the carpet, seemingly lost in thought. Sam could guess what she was thinking, but hesitated to bring it up. It would only hurt her more, and possibly cause another fight. Still…

"What if she is with him? Erin, are you seriously going to---." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue that sentence. Instead, he gave her an apprehensively concerned glance. Some part of him recognized the doubt shining in her eyes during her earlier outburst, and he wondered if he should address it.

"I don't think you could. I know that you think you have to go through with it, but you shouldn't. She's still your little sister, Erin."

"I don't want to kill my sister any more than Dean would choose to put a bullet in your temple." She raised her head to look him in the face, a kind of desperate anguish in her eyes.

"But if she's truly turned; if she's killed innocent people then…Sam, I can't let anyone walk away free from that. Not even my little sister."

She stood suddenly, breaking eye contact with him. Despite her assured tone in the car when she had apathetically announced her plan to kill Kelsey, Sam now saw it was tearing her apart. He had to wonder if this was what Dean went through every time he thought about killing him.

"I really don't want to talk about this anymore. Like I said, Kelsey might not even be with Markus anymore. Either way…" she took a deep breath. "We have to focus on catching him more than anything else."

"Okay." Sam stood up and stretched his back. He was concerned about Erin, but he didn't want to push her any more. She would talk when she was ready, and pushing her would just further alienate her.

"I'm going wash up. After that, we'll go get some coffee ok?" He moved past her to amble into the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, a thought occurred to him.

"Erin?"

"Yeah?" She sat down at the table.

"Did Jo ever come back last night?"

A few moments of silence passed, followed by Erin's face peeking around the bathroom door. She wore a stunned expression.

"You don't think they really…"

Sam grinned at her in the mirror, amused by her shock at the thought. He knew that Dean was harboring deeper feelings for Jo than just his usual lecherous desires. Of course, he didn't expect his brother to actually act on his feelings.

Behind him, Erin made a repulsed face and swung back around the doorframe, out of sight. He heard her walk away, back towards the table.

"That's just wrong on so many levels…." She fell silent for a few moments.

"Hey Sam?"

"Yeah?" He switched off the tap and reached for the towel to dry his face and hands.

"Can I use your computer? I kind of need to check my mail to see if Ash sent me anything."

"Yeah, sure. It's in my bag."

"I didn't even realize you brought your bag with you…." She pulled the laptop out and set it on the table. Opening it, she pushed the power button and sat back while it powered up. She rambled about Ash while she waited.

"I told him to research the area we're working to see if he could find anything. Of course, he's miffed that a computer genius like him has been reduced to shifting through local history files, but I'll soothe his ego when I get home. After all, he should be used to my idiosyncrasies by now; he had to put up with them for 3 years…"

She trailed off as the welcome page came up. Sam came out of the bathroom as she brought up his desktop.

"What do you mean, he put up with it for 3 years? I thought you guys had known each longer than that."

"We have." She shot him an amused look as she pulled up the internet portal. "We dated when I was in high school."

"Something I did not know."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Leaving her to her task, he rummaged in his bag for his watch, which he distinctly remembered tossing into the bag after his shower yesterday evening. He was distracted from his search by Erin's perplexed voice.

"Sam, does your computer pull up the last page it loaded when you log on to the net?"

Sam abandoned the bag to come around to her side of the table. He stared at the computer for a few seconds.

"Yeah, it's just a cookie. You can where you want to from there though." He reached forward to enter a URL into the bar.

Erin stopped him, clutching his wrists to stop him from wiping the page. Her gaze was still glued to the screen; her expression taking on a faintly staggered touch.

"Is this the map of this area?"

Sam leaned forward and nodded, acutely aware that she still had ahold of his wrists.

"Yeah, and these are the last six murders." He gently freed his hands and gestured to the colored points on the screen.

"It couldn't be; she couldn't…..oh my god."

Erin pushed back her chair abruptly and stood, nearly knocking Sam over in the process. Oblivious to his questioning look, she rushed across the room to her bag. Digging frantically in the bag, she produced a piece of clear plastic projector paper.

"What is it?"

She returned plastic and marker in hand. Sitting down again, she held the plastic up to the screen and copied the dots from the map on it with the marker. Once finished, she lay the paper down and furiously worked on it for a few moments.

Apparently finished, she sat back to observe the paper with an increasingly alarmed expression. She was still oblivious to Sam's perplexed look, studying the paper with acute concentration. Confused and curious, Sam peered over her shoulder at the drawing on the paper.

"That looks like the Star of David."

"It's not." Erin produced another pen from her pocket, a red one. Taking the pen, she highlighted one part of the symbol in red, leaving the other black. Sam now saw that the symbol was actually two; two triangles, one reversed, superimposed over the other.

"What does it mean?" He took the paper from her to study it, unable to comprehend what the significance was.

Erin stood up and waited for him to realize. It didn't take long for him to grasp the concept.

"It's the symbols for fire and water. The water symbol's been superimposed over the fire." He looked up at her, still confused.

"I get the symbols, but what significance does this have with the case? Why do the last six murders form these symbols?"

Erin stared at the paper, a grim realization in her eyes.

"The significance is that paper just answered our question. Look at this." Turning away from him, she held up her hair. Before he could ask, she took his hand and placed it on her collar.

"Pull down my shirt. You'll see what I'm talking about."

Confused, Sam tugged down on her collar slightly. It was slightly weird, her request, but he complied anyway. A black point caught his eye, causing him to pull the shirt down further.

At the base of Erin's neck was an array of tattoos. A stylized triad sat atop a full moon flanked by two crescents. After seeing the ink, he stepped back and allowed her to drop her hair.

She turned around to face him again.

"I've had that tattoo since I was sixteen. That sign has always been considered mine in my family. I used to sign my poems in high school with a stylized fire triad. Fire and water are conflicting symbols and yet here they are, conjoined. This array," she gestured to the drawing on the paper, "is a message. From my sister."

"She's with Markus. And she wants me to find her." She pointed to the location directly centered in the area where the symbols joined.

"They're somewhere in this area. I don't know where exactly, but it'll be discreet. I've got a feeling Kelsey's not going to be welcoming to me, which means she'll try to use her powers against me. And if she's with Markus, all the more reason to be somewhere out of the way, somewhere away from other people. Some place that wouldn't draw attention."

Sam looked down at the paper once again before coming to a decision. Handing it back to her, he nodded.

"I'll go tell Dean and Jo. You just get ready to leave. And see if you can locate anywhere that would be like what you have in mind." He gestured to the computer as he headed for the door.

"Sam, wait!" She grabbed his sleeve to prevent him from leaving. He turned to her, confused.

"Sam, Jo and Dean will be in danger if they go. I know that your brother's a good hunter, and Jo can hold her own. But all their hunter expertise won't mean shit against Kelsey and Markus. I mean, they can literally kill people with their mind." She gave him a pleading look.

"I get it, Erin. I know you're worried. But we're going to need Dean and Jo as backup if things get tight. Trust me; Dean could hold his own against your sister." He opened the door as she reluctantly let go of his arm.

"I'll be back. And don't sneak out the window or something to go off alone."

She folded her arms in frustration.

"I wouldn't do that."

He threw her a disbelieving glare; she threw up in arms in defeat. He grinned as she folded her arms and sulked.

"Ok, ok. I won't go anywhere. Just go wake up the happy couple." She flopped down in the chair and began furiously tapping at the keys.

* * *

The garish green numbers of the digital clock on the nightstand gradually blurred into focus as Jo opened her eyes. The clock read 8:00, which she assumed was a.m. due to the shaft of sunlight burning a faded spot into the worn carpet of the room.

Groggily, she stretched her body and immediately recoiled when her foot hit another body in the bed. It took a few moments for her brain to register the reason for this. Tentatively, she managed to roll over far enough to observe him.

Dean was still asleep beside her, snoring faintly. Shirtless, he lay on his stomach with one arm crooked under his pillow. The other, she noticed, was wrapped around her waist.

She tried to return to her relaxed position without disturbing him in the process. Unfortunately, the arm draped across her stomach tightened possessively as she shifted positions. She froze.

"Jo, stop movin. You're taking the damn cover."

Dean pulled her back down beside him and shifted drowsily. Jo lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, amused.

"I'm so sorry I disturbed you." She spoke sarcastically, kicking him under the cover. Ignoring the kick, Dean simply buried his nose in the hollow between her ear and shoulder groggily. Jo raised an eyebrow, surprised at the display of affection.

"What made you so cuddly this morning?"

Dean raised himself on one elbow to loom over her, yawning. Even though his expression had the tinge of sleep, his eyes sparked with sarcasm and the usual Dean wickedness.

"'Cause its freaking cold in here, that's why. And you stole my shirt."

Her grin was accompanied by a defiant look. She was blissfully happy for some reason, and that made him return the smile.

"I was freezing cold and naked. Get over it."

She playfully shoved him off of her and rolled out of the bed. Behind her, Dean fell back against the bed with a loud exhale. Jo threw him a look as she rummaged around the foot of the bed to find her pants.

"What's your problem?"

The man on the bed shrugged nonchalantly and sat up, his hair bedraggled. He smirked appreciatively at the sight of Jo's petite figure in his t-shirt.

"Nothing. I just liked it better when you were naked."

The answer to his remark was his jeans being flung at his head. He ducked, grabbing the offending pants before they hit. He grinned and tried again.

"Can I have my shirt back too?"

Retrieving her pants, Jo threw him an unimpressed look before trying to put the jeans on. Unfortunately, she hadn't been awake long enough to have proper balance. The resulting stumbling with one foot in the jeans landed her right back on the bed beside Dean. She huffed in frustration, kicking the jeans off again.

He looked down at the girl beside him, trying not to laugh. The smile on his face earned him a threatening finger in the face.

"Don't. Laugh."

"Wasn't going to." He slid off the bed and headed into the bathroom, his jeans thrown over one shoulder. He paused in the doorway, thinking to himself.

Jo sat up on the bed and ran her hands through her hair. They had been cordial up till now. But now what? She looked to the boxer-clad Winchester in the bathroom door. What did he expect now? Was last night a one time fling, or was it Dean's way of showing his feelings for her? What were his feelings for her? Jo still didn't know; yet she knew what she wanted to be true.

"I'm taking a shower."

Jo nodded to signify that she heard him, still lost in her thoughts about the previous night. It wasn't until she heard footsteps in her direction that she looked up.

Dean marched over to the bed and, grabbing Jo's wrist, pulled her up to him. Without a word, he started leading her to the bathroom door. Startled by his sudden antics, she was thoroughly confused.

"Dean, what are you doing?" She noticed that, while he had a firm grip on her arm, he was tender in his insistent pulling.

He stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, releasing his grip on her arm to take her hand. Turning to her, he flashed a wicked grin.

"You need a shower too."

Catching on she laughed and let herself be pulled into the bathroom, pushing the door shut with her foot.

* * *

**Author's Note: I updated! Sadly, I lost my Dishnetwork and cannot watch Supernatural anymore sobs. But thankfully I can watch episodes on All's right with the world! Anywhoo, another clue to the Kelsey puzzle as Dean and Jo start their first morning in their deranged relationship. Will Erin find her sister at the end of the case? Will Sam realize that his concern for Erin might be caused by a deeper attraction? And, more importantly, will Dean & Jo stop bitching now that they've gotten laid?!**


	17. Chapter 17

"They're taking forever."

Erin's semi-irritated tone didn't escape Sam's notice as they waited for the "happy couple" in the hotel parking lot. He looked to her from where he leaned against the front of the Jeep. She was perched beside him on the hood, her hands wrapped around her usual mug of coffee.

She was dressed in jeans and a fitted blue thermal shirt with the phrase "I've got Emo music, nobody move" printed on the front. She'd been griping about them for the past 10 minutes, but Sam ignored her. He knew it was just a ploy to distract herself from the up and coming investigation. Neither of them knew what was going to happen, but it couldn't be anything good.

Sam stuck to his belief that Erin couldn't pull the trigger on Kelsey, if it came down to that. Earlier, when he had told her so, he was responding to that tiny flash of hope he had seen in her. She didn't _want_ to pull it.

"He said they'd be out in a minute."

As soon as the words left his lips, Dean and Jo appeared from the other side of the building. Despite her previous protesting about them, Erin leaned forward and scrutinized the couple approaching them.

Sam noticed that, while his brother didn't give any indication of the previous night's activities, his attitude towards the blonde was severely relaxed. Gone was the verbal tension and, as the two of them reached the others, Dean gave Jo a sincere smile. He also noticed that Jo was wearing his brother's jacket.

The blonde noticed her cousin's expression and raised a brow. "What's your problem, Erin?"

The brunette studied the couple for a moment for giving a defeated sigh. "It's official, the end is near…"

Sam started laughing while Jo gave her cousin a thoroughly confused look. Dean meanwhile, just regarded Erin with a withering look.

"Whatever that means, screw you."

"Sarcasm gets you everywhere, Winchester." Erin slid off the hood and sighed again. Sam suddenly noticed how tired she looked. Was it possible that she actually stayed awake all night? He didn't doubt it.

"Let me drive." He held out his hand for the keys. While she might have refused someone else, Erin heard the apprehension in Sam's voice and hand the keys over without a word.

"What's the plan?" The eldest Winchester folded his arms and waited for a response. He didn't have to wait long, for Erin produced a sheet of paper for him from her jacket pocket. He skimmed over the map before handing it to Jo.

Sam had already explained the fundamentals of the current situation when he burst into their hotel room earlier that morning. Thankfully, his entrance occurred after Dean and Jo had changed, or else the blonde might have been highly embarrassed. Now, Dean was simply waiting to learn what Erin had discovered _after_ Sam left the room.

"This is a map middle of the overlapping symbols. The epicenter of the activity, if you will. The only problem is that it's mostly old farmland and pastures. There are a number of deserted farms out there, and Markus could be using either one of them for a hideout."

She paused and regarded the map for a moment. Dean spoke up in the lull of conversation.

"We're going to split up."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I know it sounds like a bad plan, but it's the only way we can cover this entire area in one day. And…" she paused again, regarding the others.

"I know that without Sam or me, the two of you are going to be severely disadvantaged. That means the logical plan would be for Jo and I to ride together. However," she held up her hand as Dean began to interrupt, "even I don't have faith in mine and Jo's ability to protect ourselves against Markus without you two. Jo, I know you have experience in the field, but you've still got limits."

"Out of the four of us Dean and Sam are the strongest hunters, if only for their physical strength. Dean, I'm asking that you take Jo with you. She's going to be safer with you than with anyone else."

Dean nodded, accepting Erin's proposal. While the brunette girl was still a mystery to him, he could see her reasons for doing so. Erin's concern wasn't so much for her cousin as it was for him. After last night, not having Jo with him on a particularly dangerous hunt would distract him. He would be constantly worrying about her, and that could potentially get him killed. Better to have her with him where he could protect her.

"I guess that's it. We'll head out; if you find it, call _before_ you do anything."

The last sentence was directed at Jo, and even Dean had to snicker. The blonde made a face at Erin, sticking out her tongue. The brunette just rolled her eyes and walked around to the passenger side of the car.

As Erin walked away, Dean became aware of Jo's hand on his lower back. Turning to her, he caught the fear and apprehension in her eyes. Briefly wondering what Sam would say later, he pushed that insignificant thought to the side as he pulled the blonde to him.

Jo was shaken, despite her brave face. She had heard Sam's explanation earlier. Erin was now sure that Kelsey was with Markus, whether by force or by choice. Her younger cousin's powers had always frightened her, especially when Kelsey was angered. And she had seen the corpse of Ms. Kent with her own eyes. In a vivid flash, she could only imagine what would happen if Markus got to Dean…

She was literally shivering in his Dean's arms. Determined, he tightened his embrace and comforted her silently.

She needed him. Damn everyone else.

Letting the Jeep idle, Sam watched his older brother silently. He had suspected it every since their first trip to the Roadhouse, but he was now convinced that Dean was in love with Jo.

Beside him, Erin let out a small 'humph'. He turned to her, trying not to laugh.

"Baby-eating locusts?"

"Baby-eating locusts."

* * *

The jeep bounced out of yet another mud hole as Erin hung on to the console. Before her, the road actually seemed to disappear as the front of the jeep hit a patch of potholes. The vehicle reared up, and lunged over the hump in the road. The back end landed as they struck another puddle. She watched as a wave of mud crept up the sides of the jeep, obscuring her view.

Who knew that mild-mannered Sam drove just like his brother?

It had been over three hours since they left the motel that morning. Dean and Jo had taken the west side of the area, while Erin and Sam perused the east side. The only interesting thing so far was that Jo had discovered a band of hoboes in an abandoned farm house. Slightly amusing, yes, but not supernatural.

Beside her, the younger Winchester was furiously trying to keep control of the vehicle as it continued its kamikaze journey down the dirt trail. She opened hear mouth to protest his driving skills, only to be interrupted when the appearance of pavement underneath the tires stopped the ceaseless jolting. Without a word, Sam turned left and continued on their way.

"You're washing this jeep, I hope you know."

Sam didn't respond, which struck Erin as odd. He was definitely quieter than usual. She rotated in her seat to get a better look at him. Something was wrong.

"Something the matter?"

"No." His tone was quiet, as usual. In the back of her mind, Erin realized that she had never heard Sam's voice without that controlled, hushed inflection in it. It was a sign of his intelligence, but it worried her that maybe he was suppressing something. Jo had told her that Dean was always the one hiding his emotions, playing the tough guy routine. Erin understood that, but she had also seen the way Sam acted. He was sensitive to other people's needs, but in regards to himself he was closed, sealed up tighter than she was. It worried her.

"You're a shitty liar, Sam." She glared at him adamantly from her position in the passenger seat. The remark drew a heavy sigh from him. As she waited for him to respond, she could hear the radio drifting faintly from the jeep's speakers. It was impossible to distinguish the song playing. Why it was on, she had no idea.

"It's nothing. You're not in the brightest of moods either."

She can't say anything to that. Earlier that morning, when they had spoken, she tried to keep the detached demeanor she had adopted when anyone spoke of Kelsey.

And then Sam said what no one would. Out of everyone, he was the only one who had enough nerve to recognize her doubt and bring it into the light. Out of everyone, he was the only one who had faith in, not only her, but Kelsey. Poor little lost Kelsey, the physical manifestation of how far Erin felt she had fallen. He believed she could be saved. He believed that Erin could save her. Most of all, he believed.

"_I don't think you could. I know that you think you have to go through with it, but you shouldn't. She's still your little sister, Erin."_

She almost cried when he said it. She almost kissed him. She almost did a lot of things.

"Are you ok?"

She snapped herself out of her reverie and focused. Apparently, she had drifted of into space again.

"You're worried, aren't you?" She leaned toward him over the console, growing concerned.

Sam flicked her gaze over to her for a split second. Either he found it odd that she hadn't answered his question, or he was realizing it was futile to try and lie to her. Still, he didn't want to worry her anymore than she was already was. Having to decide whether of not to put a bullet in your sister would stress anyone.

"Sam, did you see something?"

Her hand on his forearm surprised him. Aside from the breakdown at her apartment, there hadn't been any physical contact between the two of them. It was more than that, he realized as he slid his gaze over to her face. She had sensed his apprehension about the case and thought he had a vision. Even Dean didn't openly ask about his visions right off the bat, unless Sam himself stressed a bad vibe about something.

He started to reassure her, to tell her there was nothing wrong. It was the truth; he hadn't experienced a vision, nor did he have strange dreams last night. It was more of a normal concern for a friend, a worry for her safety.

"It's noth-.."

Something was wrong. A figure, petite in stature, had mysteriously appeared in the highway. Clothed in blue, whatever it was had taken stance in the path of the oncoming jeep. It took Sam a moment to realize it was a child, a young girl.

"SHIT!"

Desperately, he hit the brakes. He could feel the car's momentum slipping as the rubber screamed across the pavement. Erin was flung forward, catching herself on the dashboard before she head butted it.

Dread gripped him as he realized there was no way to stop in time. Unable to think of better solution, he wrenched the wheel sideways. The jeep rocketed off the shoulder into gulley of a ditch beside the road. On instinct, Sam threw his arm out to protect Erin as the vehicle slammed into the dirt.

* * *

'_On this bed I lay,_

_motionless in pain'_

Pain ripped through Erin's right temple as she regained consciousness. Groggily, she lifted a hand to her face; her fingertips revealed blood coming from superficial cut. She was only faintly aware of the radio blasting out of the speakers. Something had apparently hit the dash during the wreck, knocking the volume up to maximum. Between the distracting music and disorientation, it took a few moments to realize what had happened.

The girl in the road.

Sam, swerving.

The ditch…

Panic gripped her as she came to her senses completely. They had wrecked; the jeep was in a ditch. How long had she been out? And Sam--

'_I can see my life_

_flashing before my eyes'_

The driver seat was empty. The door looked like it had been ripped off in the crash, but Erin couldn't determine if Sam had gotten out or was thrown. Another wave of panic, accompanied by nausea. If Sam was dead…

She forced the thought from her mind and focused on the essentials. There was no telling how long she'd been out; but judging by the light and her relative surroundings, it couldn't have been more than half an hour. She doubted it was even that long. Her assumptions were confirmed by the radio's clock, which indicated it had only been a few minutes.

But then, where was Sam?

She flexed her legs slowly, afraid to discover a debilitating injury. If Sam was hurt, it'd be up to her to get them out of here. Thinking about it, she wasn't even sure she could carry Sam's weight if he were unconscious.

Assured that neither of her legs was broken, she set about trying to undo the seat belt ensnaring her torso and waist. Unfortunately, the wreck had crumpled the front of the jeep and pushed the dash inward. The dashboard was now practically in her lap, pinning her in her seat. She wasn't seriously injured, but she could reach the belt buckle obscured by the dash either.

"God damn it…"

Desperate, she began to wriggle her arms in an effort to free them. They refused to move; the only result was a raw spot rubbed on her lower arms. She gritted her teeth and, turning her palms to the bottom of the dash, began straining to lift the object of her entrapment. It was useless.

Erin began to cry in frustration. She was trapped, in a car that could explode at any moment, and Sam was nowhere to be found. He could be bleeding out at this moment, or already dead. What's worse, she couldn't even reach for her cell phone to call Dean for a desperate attempt for rescue. The car would probably blow before they could get to the wreck anyway. She was going to die--

"Erin!"

Sam's appearance at the passenger door broke the hysteria that was building up in her chest. Relieved to see him, her tears actually increased for a minute. Unable to talk for a moment, she squirmed futilely in the seat to convey she was stuck. Sam pried the door open and nodded consolingly.

"Ok, ok….just hang on…"

He gripped the dashboard and pulled, grunting in effort. An ugly gash ran up his right forearm, and there was a small blossoming blood stain on his left shoulder. Overcoming her crying, Erin spoke up beside him. Her voice was raw, carrying the terror and relief she was experiencing.

"Sam, it's stuck…It won't move, don't bother."

He stopped trying and looked back at her. Her face was pale, and streaked with dirt. A trickle of blood was running down her cheek, but seemed not to notice. She was close to hysteria, he could tell. Absentmindedly, he gripped her hand underneath the dash and tried to hurry with a solution.

"Sam…" She was terrified to the point of madness.

'_Dead I fall asleep,_

_Is this all a dream'_

"Erin, lean back." When she didn't comply, he put his hand on her shoulder and pushed.

"Lean back! Trust me."

Confused, she did as she was told. Leaning back, she put as much of her weight on the backrest of the seat as she could.

Praying that his plan would work, Sam yanked the lever on the side of the seat. For a moment, nothing happened. He could feel the anxiety welling up inside. Erin was stuck, they were stuck, she could die--

A popping sound occurred, and the seat gave a frightening lurch backwards. Erin was jerked backwards, bringing her body to a horizontal position. Wasting no time Sam reached under the dash and, deftly undoing the constricting seat belt, managed to pull her out of the ruined vehicle.

Erin managed to stand up outside the car. A pain ripped through her left foot, alerting her to a twisted ankle she had previously neglected to find. She slumped against Sam for support, cussing under her breath.

"Damn foot."

Sam put his arm around her waist to support her, and gazed around to take in their situation. They were stuck in a ditch, with no other transportation, on a hunt. Despite their recent terror, he was aware of something else in their general vicinity. He was getting that usual, creepy, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling. Something, or someone, was watching them. And he still hadn't forgotten the creepy little girl that got them here in the first place. What was she doing in the road, anyway?

Due to the difference in their height, Sam literally carried Erin around the back of the jeep and up the steep incline to the road. Whatever it was, he wasn't sticking around long enough to find out.

"Wait a minute." Erin pulled away from him and limped back to the jeep. Confused and worried, he followed her.

She limped around the driver side and reached behind the driver seat for something. In the back of his mind, Sam was aware that the radio was still playing in the jeep. It seemed strange that the radio would survive the wreck when everything else was toast. Wary of attracting unwanted company, he thought they should probably switch it off.

He went to do so, only to be stopped by Erin throwing a bag to him. Catching it, he regarded it, stumped. She threw him a look.

"I don't want to be wandering down the road unarmed. Plus, I'm not leaving this shit for the law to find. Could you imagine the hassle of the police tracing crossbows, crucifixes, and holy water to me? Hang on, I got to get this other tote…"

'_Wake me up,_

_I'm living a nightmare'_

Erin leaned against the jeep for support and used both hands to jerk on the stuck bag inside. Her ankle was enough to walk on, but she was going to have to rely on Sam to carry the bags. She was slow enough injured; Sam could probably take somebody even with the bags.

"Hey, check and make sure there's nothing in the back, ok?"

'_I will not die (I will not die),_

_I will survive'_

Another tug on the bag ripped it free of its snare inside the vehicle. Exhausted, Erin flung it to the ground and rest against the front seat. She heard Sam wandered to the back of the jeep, checking the back as she asked. A sharp whack, followed by the sound of a dull thud attracted her attention.

'_I will not die,_

_I'll wait here for you'_

"Sam, what was that?"

Picking up the other bag, she gritted her teeth and hopped up the side of the jeep. Sam wasn't answering, and she could feel the dread creeping up her spine. Something was wrong.

'_I feel alive,_

_When you're beside me'_

Erin dropped the bag of rope in shock, unaware as it rolled back down the hill behind her. Sam lay unconscious at the back of the jeep, blood running from an obvious blow to the left temple. At once, her mind switched into survival mode as the realization they were not alone dawned on her. Pointlessly, she remembered her cell phone lying on the ruined dash inside the vehicle.

A small sound behind her, possibly dirt shifting, drew her attention away from Sam's motionless form. Swinging around, her hands up in a defensive position, she faced their attacker. Too late, she was caught off guard.

"Hey sis, what's up?"

Something collided with her head, and a blinding pain exploded from her temple. She crumpled, barely feeling it as her face hit the dirt. Her vision swam, the light fading from it. The form of her sister (happy baby, little sis, cheerleader, honor roll) loomed above her in her fading sight. Bits of a song floated in from the still blaring radio as everything faded to grey.

'_I will not die,_

_I'll wait here for you'_

"s..sam…"

'_In my time of dying…'_

_

* * *

_**Author's Note: EVIL CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM! I'm such a rotten author... Dean actually hugs Jo (!), Erin and Sam learn the values of driving school, and the coy little Kelsey makes an appearance (I told you she was evil). By the way, the song playing on the radio during the last bit is "In My Time" by Three Days Grace. Of course, I can't get songs to play while you're reading the story, but I stick to the fact that part of Supernatural's suspense is thanks to their soundtrack. Music helps the mood, you know! SO, if you know the song I used, just play it along in your head, ok? It'll help lol.**


	18. Chapter 18

"God damn it."

Dean slammed the phone shut and threw it down on the seat beside him. Jo gave him a concerned look.

"He's still not answering the phone?"

Before they left the hotel, everyone had agreed to call each other after they checked a place to update the others. As per the plan, Jo had called her cousin to update her and Sam after the last place the couple had checked. That strange call had started this whole thing.

Erin's phone had picked up, but no one was on the other end. All that could be heard was the radio blasting in the background. After a minute, the line automatically disconnected. Even stranger, Jo swore she heard voices in the background. She tried twice to call Erin again before Dean's own phone rang. Sammy's number flashed on the caller id.

Dean picked up, but as with Erin's phone, no one answered. Instead, he heard Sam's voice in the distant background. While he couldn't make out what his brother said, he could tell that Sammy had asked a question. The last thing Dean heard before the line disconnected was a hard thwack, followed by a dull thud.

He had been trying ever since to get Sam on the phone, but all he received was a busy signal.

"No. Hang on." Wrenching the wheel to the left, he pulled a sharp U-turn and began heading back in the direction they came from.

"Sam gave you the computer, right?"

Jo nodded and pulled it out of the bag in the back seat. "Yeah, in case we needed to check the map again. Erin copied it down on the projector paper, so they didn't need the website."

Dean threw on the hazard lights and pulled onto the shoulder. Putting the car in park, he took the laptop and began typing furiously at the keys. After a few moments he handed it back to her. The screen now displayed an aerial grid with two colored dots.

"I activated Sammy's GPS. His phone is the blue dot; you're going to watch and tell me where to turn, k?"

Jo nodded in agreement and sat the laptop on her knees. "I got it. Just drive; I'm worried."

Without another word, he pulled back onto the asphalt and kicked the Impala up to seventy almost immediately. Concentrating on the road, he couldn't help noticing Jo's expression: dread. Despite his own worry, he knew he had to keep it together for her.

"Whatever happened, it's fine as long as Sammy and Erin are together. Sammy looks dumb, but he can kick some ass if he has to." His lighthearted tone fell on deaf ears.

"Something's wrong, Dean. I can feel it." Jo kept her gaze locked on the computer screen, but she reached out to touch his shirt sleeve with her left hand.

He reached and took her hand in his, bringing it back down to the seat. Her hand was cold; his was beginning to sweat. Whatever it was that was keeping Sam from answering his phone had to be bad.

* * *

"Ok, I'm officially freaked out now."

Jo nudged the abandoned duffel bag with one foot as Dean surveyed the wreckage of the jeep. He didn't know what caused the wreck, but he was pretty sure Erin and Sam didn't walk away uninjured.

Upon arriving at the accident, they discovered Sam's phone on the back bumper. Dean's number had been punched in, but it was unclear whether Sam had meant to call his brother or the speed dial had gotten pressed. Either way, the phone didn't disturb Dean as much as the blood spatters on the grass near the back of the jeep. Somebody was hurt, but who?

Jo circled around the front of the jeep and joined him at the back, Erin's cell phone in hand.

"What the hell happened here?"

"No idea. It looks like they were aiming for the damn ditch."

"You think they got ran off the road?" The blonde surveyed the wreckage again, trying to keep a straight face. Erin and Sam could be dead by now; whether from the wreck or others forces, it made no difference.

"Makes sense. We're tracking Markus and Kelsey all over the place using what we know as hunters. But Kelsey was raised in the same situation we were; it figures she knows how to hunt."

"Dean, we've got to find them. If Kelsey found them--."

"I know. We need to get going." He shut the back of the jeep and started back up the hill to the Impala. He took the 9mm from his jacket pocket and pulled the slide, setting a bullet. Jo jogged to keep up with him.

"Are you going to tell me what our plan is, or just expect me to go along blindly?" She slammed her hand against the driver door, preventing Dean from opening it. He gave her a slightly irate look.

"We're going to find that little demonic cousin of yours, and I'm going to kick her ass. Nobody fucks with my family."

"Dean, Kelsey's going to wipe the floor with you. A gun is not going to help in this situation."

"Believe me; a gun helps any situation if you've got enough bullets. Look, I might not be the diplomat Sam is, but even he wouldn't let this go. I've got a feeling she did this, and now she's got Erin and my brother. And we both know she's not throwing a slumber party for them."

Jo dropped her hand from the car, her shoulders slumping. No matter how she tried to deny it, this wasn't going to end peacefully. In the months since she left the Roadhouse, she had seen more action working with Erin than she had imagined. More hunts, more traps, and even more death, whether it was a supernatural occurrence or a victim.

Still, she didn't know those people. All they were to her were names and faces in files, only in her life briefly. Kelsey, on the other hand, was family. She knew her; she had helped care for her as a child. It was hard to believe she would inevitably be involved in extinguishing a life she had been a part of since the beginning. What's worse, it was possible that the situation would come down to a choice: Kelsey or Erin. If she had to choose to end one life to save another…

She was a hunter, and she would make the choice if it came down to it. Problem was, could she live with it?

"Dean, I--- How do you deal with it?"

He stared at the gun in his hand, unresponsive. The normal cockiness was gone from his expression, and in that brief moment Jo realized she could see the real Dean Winchester. Not the arrogant man she had pointed a rifle at in the Roadhouse all those months ago; not the self-confident hunter that playfully ribbed his brother during their stay at the Roadhouse; not even her verbal sparring partner.

The man standing before her now was one who, since his childhood, had been forced to watch everyone he cared about ripped away from him. He hadn't even been given the time to grieve for them. He was a man driven by remorse and revenge to avenge the death of his family. He was a man who was exhausted by the burden he carried for over 20 years. And she stood there, watching his pain without the ability to help him. The anguish on his face was breaking her heart.

"I don't."

* * *

The sound of metal scraping against wood brought Sam out of his coma. It was difficult to open his left eye, due to dried blood and obvious swelling in the area. Pain throbbed in his left temple, making it hard to focus. It took a few moments to figure out where he was.

Dim lighting from outside didn't help, but he soon made out the interior of a dilapidated barn. After trying to wipe his face, he realized his arms were tied to a post behind him. A slight panic began to set in, but he forced himself to be calm as he recalled what had happened to him.

Erin had asked him to check the back of the jeep. He had opened the back of the jeep and began calling Dean to tell him what had happened. Something--no, someone had come up behind him while he was punching in the number. He thought it was Erin, so he sat the phone down and turned around to see what she wanted. And then--

"Well, look who's awake. And oooh, that head wound looks nasty. Sorry about that, but I really couldn't have you yelling for my sister."

The voice belonged to the petite girl perched on a stool in front of him. She gave him a sweet smile, her blonde curls framing her face. She couldn't have been more than 16, and at the most she probably only came up to his bicep. She was cute in that normal, giggly girl fashion, and she was wearing fashionable clothing.

She was also dangerous.

He shifted his weight and pulled himself out of the slumped position he was in.

"Kelsey."

"You know my name! I see somebody's been running her mouth again. What'd Erin tell you? I'm dangerous and evil? I'd believe it. You know, you really shouldn't listen to somebody who's been in the nuthouse before."

"Where is she?"

"You mean my deranged sister? Don't worry; I haven't hurt a hair on her head. Oh big sis, say hello to your boyfriend, would you?"

"Get the hell away from him, Kels."

Straining to see through the matted blood on his face, Sam could make out Erin's figure a few yards away, tethered to another post. From here he could see a blossom of blood on her right arm. The blonde in front of him laughed.

"Oh calm down. I'm not going to do anything to him." The girl refocused her attention on him, studying him thoughtfully.

"I can see why you've got a fetish for Winchesters, sis. He's actually kind of hot."

"God damn it, this doesn't concern him! Look, I'll stay here with you but you have to let Sam go."

"Uh-uh, nothing doin'. See, I've been getting kind of bored around here. This is just the kind of entertainment I need. Besides, even if I did let him go, he wouldn't leave. Would you, _Sam_?"

She hopped off the stool and came close to him. Putting her hand on his forehead, she pushed the hair out of his eyes and brought her face dangerously close to his.

"No, you wouldn't my sister here all alone with little old me. See, I've been watching the two of you for a while. I've seen the way you look at her, especially when she's not looking back. You and your little lovesick puppy expressions. You want her, and if I let you go you're just going to pull some heroic martyr shit. So what's the point in even untying you?"

With one last sneer, she left him to retreat back to her perch. Across the space between them, he could feel the anger from Erin.

"I knew I should have drowned you at birth…" Erin's tone sounded like Dean's when he had become resigned to his younger brother's stubbornness. To his surprise, Kelsey started laughing. It was bizarre, watching the two of them act like normal siblings under these conditions.

"Have that would have really worked. Then I could of just come back as a vengeful spirit and haunted your ass."

"And I would of exorcised you."

"I love you too."

Erin sighed. "Why are you doing this? Did you get tired of killing innocent people and decide to move onto us freaks? Or is Markus putting you up to this? By the way, where is that little sociopath?"

Kelsey adopted a look of innocent surprise. "What makes you think Markus had anything to do with this?"

"Oh please, like that's fooling anyone. I saw the scene of the attacks. You might be able to throw a marble table out a window, but you aren't capable of those scorch marks. And I know_ I_ haven't been committing arson, so the only other person it could be is your little boyfriend."

The girl sighed.

"All right, fine. You caught me. Yeah, Markus was helping me to begin with. Happy?"

"What do you mean, to begin with? Where is he now?" Erin was confused. It dawned on her suddenly.

"Kelsey, what did you do?"

The teenager waved her hand dismissively and leaned back on the stool to look at the ceiling. Sam noticed that she was disturbingly comfortable with the current situation. To her, it was as if they were all at the mall and Erin had just asked her where she got her newest outfit.

"Markus was cool in the beginning, but after a while all he could talk about was the yellow-eyed demon and how we were all part of his master plan. It was so boring; he sounded like one of those preachers on TV. I got tired of it really quick, so I took care of the problem."

"You killed him." Erin's tone wasn't questioning but affirmative.

"Well, the coroner's report said he died of a brain aneurysm. You can't really hold me responsible for that, can you? I mean, I didn't set him on fire or anything like _you_ did."

"That was an accident. I didn't even know about my powers then. You meant for Markus to die; you did it on purpose. Kelsey, you took someone's life."

"Like he was an innocent victim? Please, he killed his own mom. I did the world a favor. Believe me; we're all better off without him."

"You actually think you any better off with you?"

Kelsey's head snapped down to stare at her older sister. For the first time since this bizarre argument began, she actually looked upset.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You're going to judge me for wiping out one person, who wasn't even a good guy to begin with? At least I didn't fuck up my entire family."

Erin's face was impassive. Sam got the impression this fight had happened before.

"I didn't fuck up anything. Nothing that happened was anybody's fault--."

"YOU'RE THE REASON DAD LEFT! HE LEFT BECAUSE YOU WERE A FUCKING FREAK!"

The brunette took a deep breath, trying to keep from losing her cool. Her younger sister was volatile. It wasn't going to do any good to get her angry. Then again, Erin was close to not giving a shit. Kelsey had been babied ever since she was a kid.

"Dad left because he was a drunk who couldn't handle the fact that his kids were different. He didn't leave because of me, he didn't leave because of you, and he didn't leave because of mom. He left because he was a coward. That's something you need to accept and stop FUCKING BLAMING ME!"

Kelsey was livid. Sam watched as her face turned an interesting shade of red. It was excruciating to watch the two of them. Despite her powers and crimes, Kelsey was just a kid. She was just a lost kid who couldn't understand why her father didn't love her. And Erin was an older version of her sister, complete with the same problems. The difference was how the two girls dealt with their pain.

Erin had dealt with it by attaching herself to John Winchester, finding the father-figure she needed in a complete stranger who ended up caring for her more than her own father did. She had taken the pain of her childhood and used it to become a formidable hunter in order to take revenge on the thing responsible for the destruction of her family. However, she had only locked the suffering inside herself; as a result, she was cut off from other people.

Kelsey had dealt with the pain like a normal kid would, and found solace in her adopted family. Instead of suppressing her powers, she had embraced them. She had taken the suffering she endured and used it to further her own agendas. Instead of seeing her father or the demon as the problem, she blamed her older sister as the reason her world fell apart. That kind of anger, built up over the years, was fatal.

"You're the reason we were never a family! You deserved to be blamed! You don't even deserve to live! Dad should of killed you when he had the chance! YOU'RE. A. FREAK!"

With each word, Erin was bombarded by an unseen force. It took Sam a few minutes to realize that Kelsey was psychically beating her sister. Blood began running from Erin's lip as Kelsey advanced on her. Through a haze of pain, Erin managed to look up as the younger girl reached her.

Grabbing sister by the throat, Kelsey brought her face close to Erin's. Enraged, she tightened her grip until the older girl's face became pale.

"I'm going to kill you, you bitch. You made me into what I am. Look at me sis, and see your failure. You--..."

Her rant was cut off by the acrid smell of something burning. For a brief moment, she became aware of the thin curls of smoke rising from behind her victim. Something clicked…

In the next moment, Sam watched as the blonde was thrown backwards, landing in a heap. Erin stood, her hands miraculously freed from their restrains. She leaned on the post for support, and he remembered her wounded ankle. Her breathing was labored as she kept an eye on the other girl.

"See there? You…got so pissed…you forgot something important…dumbass."

Howling in rage, Kelsey launched herself off the floor at her sister. Erin threw up her arms to ward off her attacker, but was unable to support her weight on one foot. The blonde collided with her abdomen and the force sent both girls backwards into the shadows.

Sam furiously worked at the ropes binding him, trying to free himself to help Erin. However the rope holding him was thick and, without a knife, there was no way to cut through it. Frustrated, he set about rubbing the rope holding his hands against the post, hoping the friction would cut through the rope.

The sounds of the scuffle echoed off the barn walls, making it hard to deduce where exactly the two were. After a few minutes, it became silent. Sam paused for a moment, and at once began to redouble his efforts to break free.

All at once, his hands were joined by someone else's. Confused at first, he understood when he caught a glimpse of brunette locks by his shoulder.

"Sam, you ok?" Erin's tone was hushed, as if she was afraid to be heard.

"Yeah, except the rope burns on my wrist. Where's Kelsey?" He tried to crane his head around far enough to see her face, to no avail.

"Don't know, but we got to hurry. Hang on, I'm almost done…"

As soon as he felt the rope loosen he pulled his hands free. Erin managed to hobble around his side of the post before her ankle failed her. She fell to her knees in front of him and sighed.

"Are you ok?"

She was bleeding from a gash on the side of her face; her t-shirt was ripped to reveal a deep puncture in her right arm. He had a feeling he looked as bad as her, if not worse. He opened his mouth to answer her question.

Kelsey came out of left field, knocking the brunette away from Sam with a vicious kick to the ribs. Erin couldn't recover quickly enough; Kelsey grabbed her sister's hair and began dragging her back to the center of the floor. Erin yowled in pain and clawed at her sister's hands futilely.

Before she could get very far Sam grasped Kelsey's arm and managed to wrench her away Erin, sending the blonde crashing to the floor. He helped Erin to her feet before he was struck from behind. A sharp pain shot up his spine, and he dropped to his knees. Another blow to his shoulder sent him sprawling across the floor.

He looked up from the floor to see Kelsey raising a metal pipe above her head, intending to strike him again. Unable to react in time, he closed his eyes and braced for it. Instead, he heard Kelsey scream and the sharp report of metal against the floorboards.

He opened his eyes in time to see Kelsey desperately slapping her upper arm in an effort to extinguish the small flames dancing on her shirt sleeve. Infuriated, she whirled on her sister.

Erin stood behind Kelsey, her ankle forgotten. Sam pulled himself into a sitting position, too startled to do anything else.

Erin's entire left arm was engulfed in flames, yet they didn't seem to disturb or impair her. Sam realized he was actually seeing the physical manifestation of Erin's pyrokinesis. The fact that she was able to produce a visible flame must mean she was using an incredible amount of psychic energy. Apparently, Kelsey was just was shocked as Sam at her sister's ability. Something told him Erin hadn't been this adept the last time her younger sister saw her. Her next outburst confirmed his suspicions.

"You can't do that! You're weak; you couldn't even start a freaking campfire!"

Kelsey was still furious, but something else was there as well. Was she actually afraid of Erin now? Realizing the situation was getting worse, Sam managed to clamber to his feet. He was able to walk, but Kelsey had done a number on his shoulder. He didn't doubt it was broken.

Erin regarded her sister with a fury Sam hadn't seen in her before.

"I told you to leave him out of this. He hasn't done anything to you."

Kelsey grinned manically. She was grasping for straws, anything to keep her sister distracted.

"What, you going to kill me to protect your boy toy?"

The brunette's expression didn't change. She was impassive, bordering on apathetic. Her lack of emotion was frightening to Sam, and in that instance he realized what she was doing. She had shut down, in order to do what they both denied she was capable of doing.

"I've already lost John. I won't stand here and watch you murder his son. I owe him that much."

"You and freaking John Winchester! What made him so damn special, huh? Did you think he could miraculously save you? Well, he didn't. He died and left you alone! He couldn't save you, just like you can't save me. It's over, Erin!"

Movement caught Sam's eye. Erin was raising her left hand, pointing it at Kelsey. The flames danced and grew, moving across her chest to engulf her right side. The blaze adjoining her shifted, and began to circulate. Erin was now surrounding by a spiraling inferno.

For a moment, Erin was obliterated by the image of Jessica in Sam's mind. As the entire scene suddenly blurred, he realized he was crying. The emotional shock was too much, and he found himself unable to move.

"I know it is. I can't save you, and I can't save me. But I can end this before anyone else dies because of me." The lethal hand pointed at Kelsey shook; the older girl hesitated.

The image of Jess melded with Erin's figure, almost as if someone had superimposed Jess over the brunette. Sam couldn't move, let alone breathe as he watched the scene unfold.

Jess/Erin's hand shook violently as tears began to stream down her cheeks. The determination in her eyes only made the pain in her expression worse as she fought to keep her resolve. For a brief moment, her eyes left the girl in front of her to meet Sam's eyes.

The younger blonde noticed the moment of hesitation in her sister and used it. Raising both hands, Kelsey began to focus her psychic efforts on the girl in front of her. Slowly the flames licking the air from Erin's hand began to sputter, as if they were hitting a wall. Realization struck Sam as the flames began creeping backwards to the brunette; Kelsey was trying to turn Erin's own power against her. The shock on Erin's face compelled Sam; she couldn't compensate against her sister's telekinesis, and the flames were closing in on her hands. In that moment he found the strength to act.

"NO!" As Kelsey moved toward the image of Jess/Erin, Sam sideswiped the blonde and reached out. As he connected with the firestorm before him Jess's image disappeared, leaving only Erin.

He could feel the heat against skin, and fought through the pain to grip cloth in his hand. Blinded by the inferno, he struggled to wrap his arms around her figure and pull her to him. He could feel them falling, and in the back of his mind he heard a shot ring out in the barn. His back slammed into something hard, and he was barely aware of someone's voice in the background.

A searing light cut through the darkness in his mind, and he lost the loose grip he had on his surroundings as he felt his mind being pulled into another place. The last thing he recalled was the image of Jess.

* * *

_He was standing on the porch of the Roadhouse. From the looks of it, this was the past given the look of the old bar. A voice to his left grabbed his attention._

_A young John Winchester sat on the steps of the bar, cleaning a rifle. Beside him was a small girl with dark ringlet curls. She watched him intently, occasionally poking the rifle with her delicate fingers._

"_You're getting finger prints all over the damn gun, Erin." John gave the child a reprimanding look. She just smiled._

"_It's all greasy!"_

"_That's 'cause I'm cleaning it. But it's not going to do any good if you keep getting midget prints on it!"_

"_Ok." The child folded her arms and sulked for a few minutes before becoming interested in a bug that was running across the porch. As she scrambled up to give chase to the insect, John smiled to himself.

* * *

_

_Another scene now, inside the bar. A teenage Erin, dressed in low-rider jeans and a wife-beater tank, sat perched in a younger Ash's lap at one of the tables. Her hair was dramatically short, almost a pixie cut, and she had multiple earrings in her left ear. She seemed anxious._

_The sound of crunching gravel outside broke the silence in the bar. Erin threw open the front door and raced outside. Sam followed, aware that no one could see him. _

_John managed to shut the door of the Impala before he was tackled by the teenager. Throwing her arms around his neck, Erin's squeals of "UNCLE JOHN" rang out across the parking lot. Sam was joined by Ash and Ellen on the porch. The younger man shook his head._

"_What does she see in him?"

* * *

_

_Yet another scene. The harsh light of a hospital room hurt Sam's eyes. As his vision focused, he became aware of someone else in the room._

_A teenage Erin was strapped to a bed, an IV in her arm. As he surveyed the scene, he realized they were in a psych ward. The girl front of him thrashed on the bed, screaming. Her hands and feet were restrained, and a thick strap ran across her chest. He tried to free her, only to realize he couldn't touch her._

_The sound of arguing in the hall caught his attention. Distracted by from the girl in the bed, he looked up as the door to the room crashed open._

_John Winchester stalked into the room, followed by two nurses and a rather irate doctor. Without word, he undid the restraints on the young girl and, ripping the IV out of her arm, picked her up in his arms. Under the effects of the drugs the young Erin slumped against his chest, asleep._

_He whirled around with her, giving the doctor a fierce, defiant stare. _

"_We're leaving."_

"_She's sick! She needs medical treatment; she needs help!"_

_Sam had never seen his father so determined about anything that didn't involve hunting the demon or his sons._

"_She doesn't need your kind of help. Now get out of my damn way." Shoving past the nurses, John left the room. The doctor followed, spouting all kinds of medical dogma and threats of A.M.A records.

* * *

_

_The Roadhouse again. _

_A fifteen year-old Erin was sitting on the freezer in the back room. She was distraught, her hands over her ears as tears streamed down her face. A younger girl that Sam recognized as Jo was beside her, apparently trying to console her. _

_Sam could hear voices, angry and bitter, from the front of the bar. As he listened he realized it was Ellen and his father, arguing. While he couldn't make everything out, he could hear Ellen talking about her husband, Bill. John answered back, in a regretful tone._

_Their voices became lower, until nothing was heard from the front. As the silence reached them Erin raised her head, apparently confused by the sudden cessation of screaming. Jo tried to talk to her, but to no avail. Erin hopped of the freezer and ran into the front of the bar. Sam no had choice but to follow._

_Ellen was sitting at the bar staring into space; her face was red from crying. As Erin and Jo boiled into the front room, she stood. Erin approached her, furious._

"_Where is he?"_

_The older woman didn't respond. Erin slammed her hands down on the bar, tears forming in the corner of her eyes again._

"_WHAT DID YOU DO?!"_

_The sound of a truck door shutting broke the fight. Before Ellen could stop her, Erin had burst out the front door into the dirt parking lot. Ellen and Jo followed quickly._

"_Erin, don't! Please!"_

_Sam exited the building in time to see his father's truck pull out onto the highway. Erin was running across the parking lot, yelling his father's name. Beside him, Ellen was calling out to her neice, while trying to keep own her voice steady. Jo was crying silently on the other side of Ellen._

_Aware that he couldn't change anything but unable to simply stand around, Sam took off after Erin across the parking lot. The brunette was now running as fast as she could down the highway, desperately trying to follow the black pickup. _

_John's truck disappeared over the next hill and, unable to keep going, the young girl slowed to a stop. She stood in the middle of the road, hugging herself as the tears ran down her face._

"_JOHHHHHHHHNN!"_

_As Sam neared her, she fell to her knees in exhaustion. Still for a moment, she abruptly slammed both hands onto the blacktop and began punching the asphalt as hard as she could. She punched until her knuckles bled, crying. Ellen and Jo finally caught with her as she stopped; she simply slumped in the middle of the road, silent._

_Ellen approached her slowly, trying not to cry to the sight of her niece's fingers. Gently, she took Erin's arm to help her to her feet._

"_Come on baby. Come on, let's go inside…"_

_As once, Erin staggered to her feet. Her expression was one of grief and anguish, and she shoved Ellen away from her as hard she could. The grief was quickly joined by fury and rage._

"_YOU DID THIS! YOU MADE HIM LEAVE!" _

_Erin shoved Ellen again as the older woman tried to console her. Ellen herself was starting to cry now, mostly because she was unable to help her._

"_YOU MADE HIM LEAVE! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! YOU MADE HIM LEAVE US! I hate you…"_

_The strength drained from her, Erin fell to her knees again. She slumped forwarded and sobbed like a little girl; a little girl who had been left once again. Sam closed his eyes, unable to bear watching Erin go through so much pain.

* * *

_

_When he opened his eyes again, the scene had changed once more. This time, he was standing on the dock of some unknown lake. The moon reflected off the water, making the entire lake silver. Noise from behind him caused him to turn around._

_John's black pickup was parked on the bank, pulled off in a small dirt parking lot beside a cement boat ramp. Both doors were open, and hard rock music was blaring out of the truck's sound system._

_John himself was leaned against the front bumper of the truck, nursing a beer on his left hand. He was singing (albeit off-key) to the song, and seemed to be enjoying himself._

_A woman's legs, clad in faded jeans, hung off the hood of the truck from where she reclined. After a few minutes she sat up, and Sam saw that it was indeed Erin. It occurred to him that this particular memory wasn't that old; John looked about the same age he was when he died, and Erin was close to the age she was now. The only difference was her hair was cut in a lopped bob, the ends of it only coming to the nape of her neck._

_Erin held a beer as well and she was singing along to the radio too. Taking a swig, she regarded John out of the corner of her eye._

"_All right Winchester. You told me you were going to tell me about these sons of yours. That I've never met, mind you."_

_John laughed and set his beer down on the bumper so he could cross his arms._

"_Why do you want to know about my kids so bad?"_

_She shrugged and set her beer between her legs to lean back on her palms. Laying her head back, she stared up at the night sky._

"_Don't know. I mean, I've just always wanted to know about them. The only picture I've seen is the one in your wallet, which is old. You're always talking about them: Dean, the bad-ass hunter who loves mullet-rock; and Sammy, the Stanford-grad law student." She laughed suddenly._

"_Hell, you practically raised me. That makes them kind of like my brothers, huh? So," she thumped him in the shoulder, "you going to tell me or do I have to pour the rest of this Bud on your head?"_

"_Oooh, beer shower. Scary." John readjusted his position on the bumper and sighed. "I suppose if I don't, you'll bug me all night?"_

"_You know me so well, __**Dad**__."_

"_Ok, fine." There were a few minutes of silence._

"_Well?" The brunette was getting impatient._

"_Dean's a lot like you: addicted to hunting and the kind who shoots first…and doesn't ask questions. He's been hunting on his own ever since he was 16. I finally had to give him the Impala; he kept killing all the newer cars he bought. He's impulsive, reckless, and a smartass." John chuckled to himself. "You'd like him."_

"_What about the Sammy?"_

_John smiled slightly. "First of all, he probably wouldn't like for you call him that. Only people I've seen him put up with on that subject is his brother and his mother." John's expression became somber._

"_Mary used to call him that." After a brief pause, he cleared his throat and continued._

"_Anyway, he's graduating Stanford and hoping to stay on as a law student. He got a 174 on his LSAT, that last I heard. And his girlfriend, Jessica?" John whistled. "She's a real good girl."_

_Erin took another swig of her beer, thoughtfully in repose. _

"_Why is it you tell me Dean's psychological make-up, but you only tell me superficial things about Sammy? His school, his grades, and the things he's accomplished?"_

_John sighed and took another drink of his own beer before answering her question. Sam realized that their relationship was a mixture of a father-daughter and something else…Erin was more than John's adopted daughter; she was his confidant. He could tell things that he had no one else to tell._

_It was strange watching them, knowing that John was now dead and Erin…Sam realized that he was seeing a side of Erin that no one else had. This is what the true Erin looked like: wild and care-free, truly caring for her loved ones, with a twisted sense of humor. She was also sympathetic, gentle, and intuitive. It was slightly disappointing to see this vibrant version of the brunette hunter, and compare to the broken girl he had gotten to know._

_John spoke, breaking Sam out of his reverie. _

"_I guess that's because the 'superficial' things are all I know about him. My son and I aren't on the best terms right now."_

"_I know that. I didn't ask for a pity report; I just want to know about him personality-wise." _

"_All right smart-ass. You want to know about Sammy?"_

"_Duh."_

_The older man was silent for a long time. This time the girl let him think instead of making a sarcastic comment._

"…_I said you and Dean were a lot alike, but that's not really true. You both have the same attitude, and you don't like authority. But Dean's a lot more…jaded than you. Sam's not nearly as acerbic as his brother; he's more down-to-earth. He's quiet: when he was a little boy I was always telling him to stop mumbling. He's got smarts; hell, he got into Stanford. And he's got this thing about him, like he puts everyone else's needs before himself." John smiled somewhat. "He's a good boy."_

_He looked up at the girl perched on the hood. "You remind me of him. Sure, you're a smartass. But you care about people, and you don't stop to think about yourself if it means putting someone out. And you're smart; too smart to spend your life in the Roadhouse."_

"_I know, I know. You tell me that every freaking day! That's why I'm going to college: to get you off my case."_

_With a dramatic flair, she finished off the bottle and hopped off the hood. With a demented grin that reminded Sam all too much of his brother, she whapped John on the chest._

"_Well, come on old man! Finish your beer and let's go! That coven only feeds every four days, and there not going to wait around for us to show up."_

_John finished off the beer and managed to catch Erin's jacket as she clambered into the driver's seat. With ease he lifted her out of the doorway and set her down on level ground._

"_No way am I going to let you drive my truck."_

_She pretended to pout and stomped her foot. _

"_You're a jackass, Winchester."_

_The older Winchester smiled at her and pulled himself up into the cab of the door._

"_And you're too short to reach the petals, midget. Get in; you're making us late."_

_Running a hand through her errant locks, she ran around the front of the truck and hopped in the cab. The truck pulled out onto the dirt road and took off into the night.

* * *

_

_He was inside of a darkened room. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Sam realized he was standing in the living room of Erin's apartment. There was no light, save the daylight coming from the window on the other side of the room._

_The receiver for the phone was lying in the middle of the room, apparently abandoned. Sam noticed that the "talk" button was still lit, indicating that someone was on the line. Confused, he made it all the way over to the phone and had stooped to pick it up before he remembered he couldn't touch anything. However, as he reached for the phone, a shadow caught his eye._

_Erin was standing to the left of him, beside the table that held the phone charger and address book. Her face was disturbingly blank; even her eyes were devoid of any emotion. Down by his foot, a voice floated out of the abandoned phone receiver._

"_Erin? Baby, I'm so sorry…I know how much he meant to you………say something, please…"_

_The day Erin found out John was dead._

_Grief punched him in the chest as he stood up. The voice on the phone was Ellen and, if he was right, Dean and he had just left the Roadhouse after meeting her for the first time. She had called Erin to tell her about John's death…_

_Erin's was changing. A small movement, almost a tic in her expression, caught his attention. _

_Her hands rose slowly, robotically, to her face. A snarl, twisted by rage and anguish came to her lips. She was beginning to break down, just like Jo said she had done after John's death._

_A rattling caught Sam's attention. Amazed, he watched as the charger for the phone vibrated off the small table. That tiny display was followed by cacophonous sound of the radio turning itself on to maximum volume. As the noise crashed around inside the small room, the entire apartment began to shake._

_Something was happening. Erin was gripping the sides of her head, as if in pain. The rumbling in the apartment grew worse, accompanied by a low hum. Erin doubled over in pain as the hum grew to an unbearable pitch. Sam went forward, attempting to help her._

_A blood-curdling shriek sounded from the brunette, now kneeling on the floor with her head in her hands. As the hum in the room grew to ear-piercing drone, Sam realized what was happening. Too late, he threw up his arms in defense as the windows shattered throughout the entire apartment._

_The blast was accompanied by a blinding light. He left himself falling again, the light searing into his mind. _

_

* * *

_**Author's Note: I UPDATED! Sorry it took so long, but I was having computer troubles. But now I'm back; with a semi-long chapter. Dean and Jo race to find where Kelsey is holding Sam and Erin. Meanwhile, the two sisters are reunited and a showdown ensues when Erin refuses to sacrifice Sammy. Sam risks his life, and in the end has another one of those trippy vision sequences with Erin; we get to see some of the moments between Erin and John that defined their relationship, and Sam sees how much John's death changed the brunette hunter.**


	19. Chapter 19

A white, bare field greeted Sam when he opened his eyes. Once again, it took a few moments before he realized he was staring at yet another ceiling. The pain in his head was intense; it felt like he had holes drilled into his temples with anesthesia. He grimaced as a distorted figure appeared in his line of sight.

"Hey there, sunshine."

The blonde's face became apparent as his vision focused. She was leaning over him, confirming the fact that he was lying on his back. Swallowing in an attempt to get rid of the cotton mouth he was suffering from, he cleared his throat.

"….jo?"

"Yeah, it's me." She reached over and pushed his hair back out of his face, smiling faintly.

"I have to go get Dean. He'll want to know you're awake. Just…don't go back to sleep, ok?"

Wordlessly, he nodded. Jo bit her lip and, after a moment's hesitation, left his field of vision. Sam thought about sitting up in the bed he realized he was in, but thought better about it when he remembered the damage Kelsey had done with the metal pipe. Instead, he was content to lie there, staring at the light above him.

After a few moments, he heard a door swing open.

"It's awake." His brother's face followed shortly behind his voice. Dean was smiling down at him, but Sam noticed his brother was looking haggard.

"Where am I, Dean?"

"The hospital. I tell ya, you were _not_ doing so good when we found you. Come on, let's get you up." Putting his arm around Sam's shoulders, Dean helped his younger brother into a sitting position in the bed.

From his new position Sam saw that he was indeed in a hospital room. Jo sat at the end of the bed in a chair by a small table. She looked tired, like Dean. Sam was starting to get a sinking feeling in his gut.

"How long have I been here?"

Dean took a seat in the chair beside Sam's bed. "We brought you in three days ago. But you were out waaay before we got you here. By the way, you're freaking heavy."

"What happened?"

"Dude, slow down. You just came out of a very short coma. Now you're goin' off asking questions. I think I liked you better when you were drooling and unconscious."

Sam shot his brother a look. From the foot of the bed, Jo sighed.

"We don't know what happened, Sam; we only got there at the last minute. We were kind of hoping you could tell us."

Dean took it up from there.

"The first thing we saw was you tackling…well, I guess it was Erin. It _looked_ like freaking St. Elmo's fire. And then there was the blonde chick--…"

"Kelsey? What happened?"

"Let me finish, geez. Like I said, you made a run for the firestorm. By the way, because of your girlfriend's pyromanical tendencies, there is _no_ barn anymore. And the blonde, Kelsey….dude, I know you said she was psychic. But she's scary!"

"What did she do?"

Jo piped up from the end of the bed.

"When she saw us I guess she panicked."

"She threw Jo back out the door and into the side of the Impala. Which was 2 yards away." Dean looked pissed just remembering it. Sam was beginning to think Dean had added another person to the "mess with them and incur the wrath of Dean Winchester" list.

"Dean, what did you do?"

"Well…."

"He shot her."

"What?!"

"Hey, it wasn't fatal! I hit her in the shoulder." Dean looked slightly offended at his brother's shocked expression. "You think I'd kill a kid?"

"…."

"Sam."

"….."

"Sam!"

"What? I don't know what to expect with you, Dean. Sure, she's a kid. But you've been know to shoot in…more complicated situations."

"Look, she's Erin's sister. Besides, I know your girlfriend wants the chance to throttle the little blonde Damien herself."

"Dean! That's not funny…"

"Sorry." He flashed the blonde at the end of the bed a smile. She just rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.

During the lull in conversation, Sam realized the reason for the dread in his gut.

"Dean, what about Erin?"

The couple exchanges looks before either one of them answered him. When they did, it was Jo who spoke up.

"When Dean shot Kelsey, she managed to get away out the back of the barn. Mainly because we were worried about you guys." She paused.

"When you tackled Erin, the fire…it surrounded the both of you. We couldn't even make out your outlines in that blaze. And when the two of you hit the ground, the fire just spread across the floor. Dean and I had to grab old horse blankets to put you out with before we could drag you out of the building. The barn went up in smoke, like Dean said. And you two were unconscious."

"What about _her_?"

"Sam, she's fine. She's in a room down the hall. Last time I was in her room, she was still asleep."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Dean leaned forward.

"Now, are you going to tell us what happened, or am I going to have to finish what Kelsey started and break your shoulder?"

Sam shrugged, and found it painful.

"I was driving the jeep when Erin and I got into a conversation. There was…a girl in the middle of the road, standing there. We didn't notice her until the last minute. We couldn't avoid hitting her, so I had to take the jeep into the ditch. I must have hit my head, because I blacked out for a minute.

I came to, and immediately got out of the car. But I didn't realize the ditch so steep, and I fell down the hill a couple of times. We managed to get out of the jeep and started up the hill when Erin said she wanted to get some stuff out of the car. Weapons and all that junk, you know? So we went back, and she asked me to get the stuff out of the back. When I went around the back of the jeep and started to call Dean, Kelsey came up from behind with the pipe.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the barn. Kelsey had tied me and Erin up to the posts. Um…" He rubbed his left temple, trying to remember everything through the haze of pain.

"Erin and Kelsey got into an argument. They were yelling at each other about their dad; Kelsey was blaming Erin for him leaving. Erin…she said something that upset Kelsey, so she got right in Erin's face about it. Erin managed to get out of her restraints and…they got into a fist fight.

Sometime during the fight Erin managed to untie me, but Kelsey just ambushed her. She grabbed Erin and started dragging her away from me. So I tried to help, and that's when Kelsey got me with the pipe."

Sam stopped talking, remembering what had transpired next. After a few minutes, Dean whacked him in the chest.

"Finish the damn story."

"…I was on the floor. Kelsey went to hit me again with the pipe, but Erin stopped her, I guess. Her…her sleeve was on fire.

She turned around to face her sister and when I sat up…." He trailed off again for a minute. Dean let him mull it over in his mind.

"Erin was enveloped in this….firestorm. And she was talking to Kelsey, telling her that she wouldn't let her kill John's son. And then she raised her hand, like she was going to…I don't know, _will_ the flames towards Kelsey. But she hesitated, and she looked at me." He turned to look at his brother.

"Dean, when she looked at me…I didn't see Erin. I saw Jess."

The elder Winchester nodded empathically. Jo leaned forward and spoke up from the bed of the bed.

"What else happened, Sam?"

He shook his head. "Not much else. When Erin hesitated, Kelsey made a move for her. So I made a run for Erin, and that's when you guys came in."

The other two nodded, and Jo sighed. "Well, it's a good thing we came when we did. First off, you two were so out of it you probably would have burned up in the barn. And second…." She paused for a minute, worried.

"You two needed serious medical attention. The doctors said that…something really weird happened to you guys out there. The doctors said that an unusual amount of pressure was put on Erin's frontal lobe; there was an abnormal bruising in the tissue. According to them, she should have died from a brain aneurysm. They thought it was just something that _she_ experienced that caused the occurrence. But the thing is, Sam…"

Jo got up and came around to the other side of the bed. There she sat, and gave him a very disturbed look.

"When they examined you, they found the exact same thing. Pressure, bruising, the whole nine yards. And exactly one hour after you were brought in, all the symptoms disappeared. The doctors are stumped; they have no idea what the hell is going on. All they know is that the evidence says you two should have been D.O.A. I don't know if you've noticed, but _you're not dead_, Sam."

"Yeah, I think he noticed. Stop being dramatic."

The blonde stood up and pointed a finger at the older Winchester.

"That's it Dean. I will come over this bed and kick your ass from here all the way back to Nebraska. Don't make me--..."

"Hey, I'm not the one being a drama queen. This is serious, not a script reading for 'Days of Our Lives'!--..."

"I know it's serious, you moron! My cousin's in the hospital; this ain't all about you--..."

"I didn't say it was!"

"Hey!" Sam managed to grab both of their arms, before they came to blows over the bed. "Just calm down, ok? I'm fine; Erin's fine. There's no need to get into a fist fight about it."

He dropped their hands and sighed. "You two look rough. I'm ok right now; why don't you guys go outside and get some fresh air?" He held up his hands when the couple began to protest.

"Please, it would be in the best interest of my health if I didn't have to listen to you two bitching constantly right by my bedside."

The comment earned a raised eyebrow from Dean and an indignant huff from Jo. Nevertheless, Dean grabbed both their jackets and began steering Jo toward the door by her elbow. As they reached the door, Jo managed to wrench away from Dean long enough to point an accusing finger at Sam.

"That last comment? Yeah, you've been hanging around my cousin too long mister."

* * *

After checking the hall one last time, Sam quietly shut the door to his room and began limping down the hallway. It had been over two hours since he became conscious, and the nurse on staff had made it clear that there was no way she was going to allow him to leave his bed in his current state.

Lucky for him that he hadn't planned on asking her permission.

Jo had told him that Erin was awake, but she hadn't gone into any details. All she said was that the doctors were examining her, and that she kept asking about him. She also happened to mention Erin's room number. He couldn't help thinking this behavior was a little Dean-like: sneaking into a hospital room to see a girl. Of course, Dean would be sneaking into the room for a very different reason….

Sam paused and leaned against the wall, panting for breath. He hadn't realized how badly he was hurt; his shoulder was screaming in pain, and the wound above his left eye was bleeding slightly. He also hadn't realized what a good idea a morphine pump was till he disconnected himself from the one in the room.

He was in room 306. Erin was in 312, six rooms away. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to inch along the few remaining feet to her door. As he reached the door it opened, and he managed to dart into an alcove with a snack machine just in time.

An older nurse exited the room and paused in the doorway.

"Now I promise you; as soon as your friend is better you can see him, ok? Just try and get some rest honey."

"I don't want any rest! I want to see Sam."

The nurse just smiled and shut the door. Sam held his breath as she passed and hoped she wouldn't see him. Thankfully, she passed the alcove and continued around the corner. As soon as she was out of sight, he made a break for the door of her room. He slid inside and shut the door behind as quickly as possible.

Erin was propped up in the bed, resting. She was dressed in pale green scrubs similar to his, and somewhere in the back of his mind Sam thanked god this hospital apparently didn't believe in tie-back gowns.

She looked worse than he felt; her arms were bruised, there was a thick bandage around her upper right arm, and there was an unidentifiable lump where her left foot should be. As the door shut she opened her eyes, apparently surprised at a visitor.

"I know I said I wanted to see you, but I had no idea this hospital had a delivery service."

He grinned and managed to hobble over to the chair beside her bed. There, he gratefully collapsed.

"Well, this isn't technically an authorized visit." He took a minute to catch his breath before continuing.

"So, how are you feeling?"

She gave him a smile full of fake cheer. "Oh, I'm fine. I singed my hair, my brain almost exploded, and I have cuts of unknown origins all over. Oh, and my foot?" She flung the cover off her legs to reveal an uncomfortable ankle cast.

"Turns out, it was fractured. Thanks to your driving, I might add."

"I apologize for your discomfort. At least you didn't get whacked repeatedly with a metal pipe by a girl who only comes up to your elbow. Oh, and my brain almost exploded too, you know. As you so eloquently put it."

"By the pipe beating or the other thing?"

"The other thing. Jo said we had the same symptoms and that they disappeared exactly one hour after we were admitted to the E.R." He thought about it for a moment.

"You don't think it has anything to do with our abilities, do you?"

Erin shrugged. "I've got no idea. But I'd hate to think that one day my brain's just going to explode because of something I can't even do well. Besides, you didn't do anything psychic. Did you?"

"Not on purpose. But when I was out I had more visions about you, like what happened at your apartment."

She blinked. "You did? That's weird, I didn't get anything. Except a splitting headache, and some weird, trippy light show right before I woke up. What did you see?"

Sam was silent for the longest time. Finally, she reached down and took his hand in hers. He looked at her.

"You saw John, didn't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I did. More than once, actually. The first time you were only a kid. He was cleaning his gun on the front porch of the Roadhouse. The next time was just a flash of one time when you were a teenager and he stopped by. The time you were in the hospital? I saw that too; when my dad came to get you out. I've…never seen him that upset about something that didn't involve me or Dean. Then…" he trailed off into silence again. Erin stayed quiet and waited for him to finish.

"Ellen and my dad got into a fight in the Roadhouse. You and Jo were just kids. I don't know what she said to him, but my dad left. And you……you chased him down the road until you couldn't see his truck anymore. And you got so angry at Ellen…"

He stopped when he saw that she was getting upset. There were tears in her eyes, and yet she was still smiling at him. Waving a hand, she urged him to continue.

"I'm ok. I just…haven't thought of that fight in a long time. Go on though. Please?"

He nodded, and cleared his throat uneasily.

"And then you were with my dad at some lake. It was dark and it wasn't that long ago because you…well, you looked like you do now, except your hair was shorter. You guys were drinking a couple of beers, just talking. You… you asked him about us, and then chewed him out when we wouldn't tell you anything about me." He laughed nervously.

"And…I saw the day that Ellen called to tell you…to tell you that he was…" he paused for a minute. "You were standing in the middle of the room when you answered the phone, and when she told you what happened you just…freaked. You dropped the phone and you…you were so angry and upset…"

She was crying. Before she had only been upset but now she was actually crying. Sam felt that stab of guilt in his stomach for upsetting her again with his father's death. It hurt to watch her sit there, weeping silently. When he reached for her she turned away.

"I'm fine, Sam. Just give me a minute, ok?"

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he forced her to face him.

"No, you're not. You can lie to Jo, you lie to Ellen, you can lie to whoever you want, but I was _there_. I saw what happened to you. Erin, you blew the windows out of your apartment! His death damaged you so badly that your entire personality changed after he died. I saw what you were like before, when he was alive. You're not even the same person you were; you're carrying him around like some cross!

And you just went up against your little sister and came this _close_ to killing her to save me! You care _so much_ about _my_ family, and I just met you a week ago. You were willing to sacrifice the last remaining part of your family to save the son of the man you thought of as your father, and now you're going to sit there and tell me that you're ok? Bullshit, all right? You. Are. Not. Ok."

Her bottom lip trembled.

"You didn't have to yell me."

"Sorry. I got carried away…" He let go of her shoulders and started to sit back. He was prevented from doing that when she put her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck. Unsure of what else to do, especially since he had just chewed her out, he put his left arm around her waist and held her.

After a few minutes, she pulled away and sat back up on the bed in her original position. Sam sat back and stared at her until she spoke up.

"I'm starting to think you keep upsetting me just so you can cop a feel."

He laughed. "No, that would be Dean. And he's got plenty to keep his hands busy with Jo."

"I still say they're a strange couple."

"Well, no stranger than us."

Erin gave him a strange, slightly embarrassed look. "We are _not_ a couple."

"According to Dean, we are. Hey, he had to tell the E.R something." He held up his hands when she gave him a disbelieving look. "I swear I had nothing to do with it."

"What exactly did your _loving_ brother tell the doctors?"

"That we were a couple who got in a car accident on the way to a party. Which technically isn't a lie. We were a _couple_ of _people_ who got in a car accident. And I guess what happened at the barn could have been considered a party. There was a fight and a fire broke out, so that's a party in Detroit."

She snickered for a minute before becoming somber. "Sam…thank you for what you did. Kelsey was beginning to overpower me. If you had waited just a minute longer, I might not be here."

"Don't thank me, ok? I'm just glad you didn't get used for fire wood."

"Well if that was the point of your heroics, you didn't do a very good job." She held her hands up, revealing two bandages concealing her palms that he had previously overlooked. When he started to object, she held up her hands in a calming manner.

"Don't worry, I was just kidding. The doctors said that it was barely second degree burns. Which means that no meat was exposed, but I've got a couple of nasty blisters that will prevent me from doing anything for a while." She exhaled loudly.

"Yet another thing for Aunt Ellen to yell at me."

"Ellen's coming here?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The doctors called her because, like a dumbass, I listed her as the primary beneficiary on my medical insurance." She grimaced and folded her arms. "I'm sooo changing that freaking policy…."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Erin's door opening. Jo stepped through, followed by Dean. Both of them looked slightly amused.

"Dude, there you are. I figured we'd find you here." He shut the door as Jo gave her cousin a hug.

"What; are you guys planning your escape from here? I don't blame you. The food stinks." To Sam's mild surprise, Dean gave Erin a hug as well and took a seat beside his brother in another chair he stole from the table. Jo perched on the end of Erin's bed. The brunette grinned.

"You can say that again." She lowered her voice to a conspiring tone. "The Jell-O here? It doesn't even jiggle."

"Oh, the horror." Jo laughed.

A thought occurred to Sam, and he turned to Dean for an answer. "Hey, I've got a question. I told you guys what happened at the barn, but you guys still haven't explained how you got there in time. I mean, you had a map but there was no way for you to know where we were."

"Oh, well…" Dean stopped.

"See, we got worried when you guys didn't answer your phones. So after about forty failed attempts to call you guys, Dean got the bright idea to turn Sam's GPS on. So we followed the signal to the wreck."

"Ok, but that still doesn't explain how you found the right barn. There like, eighty old farms out there."

"True. So when found the wreck, we cross-referenced where you had been previously to the places you hadn't checked yet. And then cross-referenced _those_ with the places in your general vicinity, given your current direction when you left the road…." Dean trailed off at the sight of Sam's growing disbelief.

"All right, damn it! We guessed."

Erin cracked up. "I don't care how you did it. I'm just glad you did."

"Happy to be of service." Jo stood up and stretched. "Hey, I know that you're tired of the… 'food' here. So..." She smiled at the older Winchester man. "Dean's talking about sneaking in some fast food from down the street. What do ya think?"

Erin pretended to pout and held up her hands in a pleading gesture. "Dean, I would love you forever if you got me a burger. Or a shake. For the love god, at least some fries!"

"Ok, ok. Don't give yourself the vapors." Dean stood up and grabbed his jacket. "We shall return. After _we_ eat, of course. Hey…" He gestured to his brother and pointed at Erin.

"Watch her. Make sure she doesn't take out the night shift nurse and go Rambo on the front desk, ok?"

"Oh sure. Leave the preventive measures up to the crippled guy."

"You can handle it. Baby…."

* * *

**Author's Note: I UDPATED!...AGAIN! WHOO-HOO! Ok, enough caps lock. Not much to say with this chapter, except...they're in the hospital. What else can I say lol? Oh, not to mention Dean & Jo get into an argument again. It seems getting laid did not help their problems lol...**


	20. Chapter 20

"Dean."

It was two days later. Dean was standing out on one of the many porches built onto the roofs of the lower levels of the hospital. It had been a hard five days, and he had come outside simply for some fresh air.

Now he turned around to find he had been joined by Erin, who was limping across the roof towards him. She was dressed in the green scrubs and a white robe which was pulled tight around her. She looked better, but not as well as she had been. He knew there was more going on than just physical pain.

"Yeah?"

"We…I need to talk to you." She reached him and leaned against the railing of the porch. He nodded.

"If you're looking for Sam, he's down in the cafeteria with Jo. Apparently, he likes the Jell-O a lot better than you."

She smiled faintly, although the smile disappeared quicker than he would have liked.

"That's not what I need to talk to you about. I think…you know what it is."

He hung his head in defeat and acknowledgment. "Yeah, I think I do."

She pushed herself away from the railing, and began hobbling around in a small circle. Dean noticed that she was twisting the sleeves of her robes up in anxiety. She was nervous, he could tell. Instead of pressing her to talk, he let her walk it out and decide for herself.

"Dean…I want to thank you for what you tried to do back…at the barn. I was scared; I didn't really know what I was going to do. All I knew was I had to stop her. So, I wanted to thank you for what you tried to do….and to thank you even more for not doing it."

She paused, putting her hands on the railing. Silent, she stared at over the small, grassy area and parking lot below.

"It's…a horrifying thing to realize that your sibling is this…this evil thing that you have to destroy. But even so, we're hunters. It's our job to eliminate the evil we can from this world in order to protect people. I knew that. I heard Gordon Walker's stories about his sister when he still came to the Roadhouse. I thought about it constantly after Kelsey and Markus went missing. I prepared, mentally and physically. I trained myself to be cold-blooded; I even took hunts that had unnecessary emotional baggage. I thought I was ready to face her. And I thought I could do it without even blinking."

She gripped the railing harder and bowed her head. Her shoulders shook, whether from anger or crying Dean wasn't sure. What he was sure of was the unsettling feeling that he was talking to himself.

"I couldn't do it. Damn it, I had her in my sights. I could have killed her right there and saved everyone a lot of trouble. She was going to kill Sam, and then me, and I couldn't even hurt her. I hesitated on purpose. If it hadn't been for Sam, we'd both be dead. But when I looked at her face…." She trailed off into silence.

"Dean, I don't expect you to understand what I'm saying. I'm just asking for you to forgive me for putting Sam in that kind of danger. I...I shouldn't have even taken this hunt with you guys. I put you at unnecessary risk, and I'm sorry."

He was silent for the longest time.

"First off, we take our own risks. Don't turn yourself into a martyr thinking you got everyone into danger. We knew the risks when we took the hunt. Second…you're wrong. I understand more than you know." There was a pause. "I couldn't pull the trigger on Sammy either."

"What?" She raised her head to stare at him with incredulity.

Dean took a deep breath and let it out with a loud exhale. "There was a time when…I thought I was going to have to kill Sam. It went so far as me pulling a gun on him. But when it came right down to it, I couldn't pull the trigger." He glanced at her sideways.

"He was going to kill Jo, and I _still_ couldn't shoot him."

"What happened?"

He shrugged. "It turns out, he was possessed. It wasn't even him threatening Jo; it was a demon we had encountered earlier. The point is, I know what you're going through. It doesn't matter how much we cared about the other person, we still chose our family in the end."

"Dean…I don't know what to say. Kelsey is my sister, yes. But…" she paused for a moment, "Jo and Ellen are my family too. Viviane and Monroe Arlington, Kelsey's adopted parents? They're my family. John was the only father I ever had; he practically helped raise me. He's my family, and that means you and Sammy are my family too.

I still think there's hope to save my little sister. But if the time comes when it becomes apparent that she can't be saved, I _will_ protect the family I have now. I owe John that much…. You understand that, too."

Dean nodded in agreement, trying not to smile at how much of his father and Sam he was seeing in Erin at that particular moment. Inevitably, he started smirking.

"Well, I've never had a little sister…"

"I ain't that little, Winchester."

"You only come up to my chin, Foster!"

"You wanna see what my fist can do to that chin, pretty boy?"

"Try it, midget."

"I told John before, and I'm telling you now. I AM NOT A MIDGET!"

Dean cupped his hands to his ear. "I'm sorry; I can't hear you from way down there."

"OOOOHHH! If I didn't have this cast on, I'd kick your ass."

Dean back peddled away and grinned at her. "Bring it on, gimpy!"

"DEAN!" Erin thought about it from a minute, leaning against the railing for support. Finally, she pouted in resignation. "Help me back inside, ya moron."

"I'm not helping you; you just threatened me! Plus, you made it out here by yourself."

"I SAID HELP ME, WINCHESTER!"

"All right, don't yell! God, did Ellen teach you how to nag…" He walked over and put his arm around her waist to help support her. They began walking back to the door, albeit strangely considering Erin's limp.

"God, you're heavy…."

_Thunk_

"Damn it Erin, that was my toe!"

"_Sorry,_ your majesty."

"Just wait until you're healed up…."

"Ha! You'd never hit a girl!"

"You said it yourself. You're not a girl; you're my _sister._"

"Ah, goddamn it….."

* * *

"JOANNA BETH HARVELLE AND MEREDITH ERIN JELIZA-ROSE FOSTER!"

"Oh god, I can't believe she's yelling already." Erin lowered her head in mock shame.

"I can't believe your first name is _Meredith_."

"I can't believe your middle name is _Jeliza-Rose._"

"I agree with Sam on that. What the hell was your mom smoking when she named you?"

"Shove it, Winchester. I'd like to know what _your_ full name is."

"Uh, no. Only my family and a couple of women lucky enough to scream it know my full name." The comment was quickly followed by a five-minute beat down from Jo. Erin cracked up at the sight.

The four of them were standing in the lobby of the hospital, waiting for Ellen to arrive. It had been exactly one week since Sam and Erin were admitted to the hospital.

The bruising on Sam's shoulder had faded slightly, and the pain had dissipated considerably; the wound on his left temple was now no more than a small, stitched cut. Erin was doing better as well. The bruising on her arm was almost gone, and the burns on her palms had healed, but her foot was still in an ankle brace. Which was why she was seated in a wheelchair with Sam standing behind her.

"Girls I hope you're dead because if you aren't, I'm going to murder you two!"

Erin leaned back in the chair to peer up at Sam with a pleading expression. "Sam, please just push me down the stairs…."

"You're not getting out that easy. Sorry."

"Awww, man…"

Ellen had reached the four of them by now. It didn't take any of them long to figure out she was pissed. Before she could open her mouth, Jo waved at her weakly.

"I love you, mom…."

"Don't give me that, Joanna."

"Okay."

Ellen took a deep breath. "I'm not going to chew you two out about what happened here, because I know that you two know better. And I know that you two feel bad enough as it is about everything that transpired. But you…" She pointed an excusing finger at Dean.

"Didn't I tell you want would happen if either one of these girls got hurt?"

The older Winchester backed up. Glancing around desperately, he pulled Jo over as a buffer between him and the angry mother.

"Ellen look, I'm really sorry. But trust me; I would not make a good purse!"

The older Harvelle folded her arms and smirked. "It was worth getting angry just to hear you say that, Dean."

"Dumbass." Jo whapped him in the chest and started laughing. "You are so scared of my mom."

"Jo, language please?" Ellen turned her attention from the odd couple to the others. "It's good to see you, Sam. Are you two doing ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine. My shoulder's better now, except it occasionally pops. And Erin's foot is just a hairline fracture; the doctor said it should only take a few weeks to heal."

Ellen hugged Erin and stepped back from the girl. "Well, I see being crippled works for you. You don't have to walk anywhere and you've got a good-looking man to push you around."

"Yeah, and when Sam's not here, I've got Dean. But I'm not entirely sure he could resist the urge to push me into a pond."

"You're right about that."

Ellen threw Dean a glowering look.

"But I'd pull you out after…2 minutes."

"Ok, we don't have time to stand around jawing all day. We got to get going." Ellen smiled at the brunette in the wheel chair.

"Erin, I brought along something for you. Of course, I didn't realize your foot was…incapacitated. But you can sit it anyway." She motioned for them to follow her outside.

Erin looked up at Sam. "Well, what are we waiting for? Get rolling!" She laughed as he started pushing her towards the sliding doors.

"Like I said, I didn't realize Erin was unable to drive right now. But when I got the call from Jo about the wreck, I figured you guys wouldn't survive being crammed together in the Impala. So I called over to Bobby Singer's, and it just so happened I got--.."

"MY BABY!"

Sitting in the parking lot was a lime green/black 1973 Dodge Challenger. Erin squealed excitedly from the wheelchair.

"Oh, my car! My car, you got my car! Get me out of this stupid chair!" Erin struggled out of the chair and began limping over to the car before either one of the boys could help her. Ellen rolled her eyes.

"I give you Erin's true love: her car."

Sam started laughing. "She's like a female version of Dean."

They caught with Erin just as she started hugging the hood. "I missed my car sooo much. I haven't seen it in three years!"

"What happened to it?" Sam leaned against the hood beside her as Dean inspected the car thoroughly. Apparently, he was impressed.

Erin stood up and composed herself. "Oh, when John died I kind of thought I didn't need a car so….I bought the bike and hocked it."

"Traitor." Dean shot Erin a glare from the back of the car. She rolled her eyes. "I didn't technically hock it, ok? Bobby gave me money for it, but he said I could pick it up whenever I was ready. He was just….babysitting it." She smiled and slid a hand across the hood.

"I also got rid of the car because…it's outfitted for a hunter. It's got a weapons box in the truck, just like the Impala. And it's got two small weapons panels in the back of the front seats. I guess….I guess I just thought that if I was giving up being a hunter, I didn't need it. Or at least, giving up hunting with someone else. I didn't think I would able to do that after John."

Jo gave her cousin a knowing smirk. "So, does this mean the real Erin is back?"

"Oh yeah, I'm back!" The brunette cracked up, and Sam joined in. From the back of the car was the sound of the truck shutting. Dean came around the car.

"Well, I guess we should be going. Sam, you riding with me or Erin?"

Jo looked surprised. "Dean, you're coming back to Nebraska with us? I mean…there's not really any reason for you to. Not that I don't want you to."

Realization hit Erin. "That's right. The hunt's over; there's no reason for us to stay together anymore." She turned to Sam with a slightly disappointed expression.

"Yeah, but we could always just follow you guys back…"

"No Dean." Jo pulled him to the side, away from everyone else. When they were a few feet away, she stopped.

"Dean, we know how we feel about each other. But we can't let our feelings get in the way of our jobs. If you do this one thing now because you care about me, it'll just lead to you doing other stuff because you care about me. And we can't let that happen. Now, we did the hunt. It's over; you and Sam…we should go our separate ways."

"Why do I think I should have been the one to say that bit?" Dean smiled at her, although it was a little off. When she started to protest his lighthearted tone, he caught her hands in his.

"Jo, I get what you're saying. And I agree with what you mean. But that still doesn't mean I'm ready to say goodbye to you yet."

The blonde smiled coyly at him. "Well, you're going to have to. Because we _do_ have a job to do, and…my mom's watching us."

Back, Erin grabbed Sam's phone from his back pocket and began punching random keys. Confused, he started to ask when she suddenly thrust the phone into his hand. He looked down to find a new entry in his address book.

"It's my cell phone. You know: just in case something like this happens again, or if you guys hear something about Kelsey. Or if Dean does something really stupid and gets in trouble."

Sam gave her a warm smile. "And what if I just want someone to talk to?"

She returned the smile. "I'm counting on it."

Dean and Jo had returned by this time. Dean patted his brother on the back. "Come on and say goodbye, Sam. We got to hit the road."

Erin smiled as she put her arms around his neck. "Goodbye Sam. And thank you," she added as she as he let go of her, "for everything."

"Same here." He held her hand for a moment before turning to start towards the Impala parked a few spaces away. Seeing his brother, he paused and waited.

Hugging briefly, Jo gave Dean a small peck on the cheek before returning to her mother's side. He waved to the rest of them, and joined Sam. Before they reached the Impala, Ellen's voice rang out behind them.

"Dean, a little advice? 'I'm dating your daughter' should have been your first words to me. We'll talk about it next time you stop by the bar."

"Aw, sonofabitch!"

"Just let it go Dean. At least you're not a purse."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

* * *

**Author's Note: I UPDATED TWICE! Sadly, you guys will be disappointed to know that we have finally reached the end of "Into the Fire". This is the last chapter, and the story ends just like it began: with snarky remarks from both brothers. But don't worry; I left too many cliffhanger story plots to leave you guys hanging. There'll be a new story shortly, a sequel. And I'm going to be loving and leave you with a small preview to see what you think.**

**Preview- "Phoenix Rising".**

**It's been six months since the events of "Into the Fire". Dean and Sam have been on the road as usual, doing their job. Despite his womanizing past, Dean's managed to keep his relationship with Jo intact (depsite her mother's death threats). And Sam has been talking to Erin regularly through phone calls and emails; the two of them becoming close friends despite only seeing each other every few months.**

**But while Dean and Jo must deal with the pressures of a relationship, Sam and Erin must deal with errant powers. Sam ability for telekenesis is growing to a frightening extent, and Erin's pyrokenesis has progressed past just simple fire-starting: she's begun to exhibit signs of a unique type of telekenesis- undetectable vibrations, which results in something similar to the windows in Erin's apartment when John died.**

**Unnerved by the power growth and with Dean's anniversary approaching, the two Winchesters return to the Roadhouse for an extended stay. While there, they meet a real-life version of "Cheaper By The Dozen" - the Arlingtons, complete with _14 _kids- and a whole group of older hunters that have commandeered Bill Harvelle's old hunting camp. As Dean and Jo settle into semi-normal couplehood, Sam and Erin become closer through their psychic troubles. It seems that Erin's claims of a family weren't entirely off.**

**But troubles threatens the new family unit when news of Kelsey's appearance arises. When Erin hears the news of her little sister's crimes against fellow hunters, she must make the hardest decision: will she make the choice to eliminate her only sibling to save her new family? Or will she sacrifice everything (including the one man she possibly loves) in a futile effort to save a lost cause? Whatever the outcome Erin will learn that there's only room for one set of siblings in her heart, and in order to save one she must sacrifice the other...**


End file.
